Birthday Gone Wrong
by miss-suga13
Summary: It's summer in the O.C. and it will soon be Ryan's birthday. The Cohens attempt to surprise Ryan with a mystery guest, but the plan backfires. My first so please review! Chapter 16 is up!
1. The boy who never had a birthday party

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that this fan fiction is based on. They are owned by FOX. Don't forget to review!  
  
Sandy was doing his taxes in the kitchen. There were papers sprawled everywhere. In his hand he held Ryan's birth certificate, and he was staring at it intently. At that very moment, Kirsten walked through the door. "Hey sweetie!" she said, grabbing a mug to pour some coffee. "What ya looking at?" she asked. Sandy looked at her, a half smile on his face. She always made him smile. "Nothing, it's just...did you know it was Ryan's birthday in a week?" Kirsten looked a little confused as she replied: "Yeah...you didn't?" Sandy chuckled a little, trying to decide whether or not to confess that he had forgotten his son's birthday. "Well, of course I, uh, I didn't." he said quietly. Kirsten laughed a little and drank her coffee.   
  
Seth sneaked in, a silly grin on his face. "Hello family..." he leaned over to see what Sandy was looking at. "What's that?" he asked curiously. Sandy playfully whacked him on the head with the birth certificate. "Hey Seth, did you know that it's Ryan's birthday in a week?" Seth looked from Sandy to Kirsten and back again. He let himself half smile and said: "Yeah...you didn't?" Kirsten snorted to hold in her laughter. She skipped over to Seth and gave him a hug. "I told you he takes after me!" Sandy shook his head and rolled his eyes. "So are we like, planning a party or something?" asked Kirsten. Sandy gave a thoughtful look and nodded. "He won't want one." said Seth, knowing all too well that Ryan was a very humble and quiet person. "Well then we'll throw a surprise one!" answered Sandy. "Seth, don't tell Ryan though, ok?" Ryan walked in right as he said that, and looked at the trio with a confused look on his face. "Don't tell me what?" Seth smiled nervously and Sandy raised his eyebrows in surprise at the presence of his adopted son. Kirsten, however, did not hesitate to lie."We didn't want Seth to tell you about the Summer...uh...Summer Solstice party we're planning! We didn't want you to help too much because Seth needs to build some muscles." She smiled as Seth mumbled: "Thanks, mom." Ryan didn't look very convinced. "Are you sure you don't want any help?" he asked, a little smile growing on his face as he saw the two Cohen men looking at the ground, trying to let Kirsten take care of the situation. "No, but thanks sweetie!" she said, practically kicking Ryan out of the kitchen.  
  
Ryan knew something was going on with the Cohens. They were planning something, but he didn't know what. He looked at his calendar. There on the 22nd of June, in small, unimportant writing was scribbled "My 17th birthday." Ryan sighed. "They can't possibly be throwing me a birthday party. That would just be stupid." He lifted the curtains that were draped over his windows, and peered into the kitchen. There he saw the three Cohens looking at the newspaper and talking. Ryan laughed a little. "Nah.." he thought aloud to himself. "They can't think I'm that dumb that they can throw me a party without me noticing."  
  
Inside the house the Cohens were busily thinking of ways to distract Ryan so they could throw the party. "I'll take him to a party at Marissa's house and bring him back in time to celebrate!" he said. Marissa and Ryan had had trust problems in the past. Marissa hadn't believed in Ryan when he wanted to help her. The result had been Oliver trying to kill himself. The two had gotten past that issue, though, and were back together. At least for the moment. "Great!" said Sandy. "Let's plan a party." 


	2. Seth's magnifent plan

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in this fan fiction. They all belong to FOX. I would appreciate reviews/comments, since this is my first and I'm not sure it's all that good. The first chapter was just a prologue, to introduce everyone to what's happening.  
  
Ryan and Seth walked down a hallway in Harbor, binders in hand. School had just ended, and they were going to their lockers. "So..." said Seth, trying to make small talk. "It's your birthday today!" He nudged Ryan in the stomach. Ryan shrugged. "So?" Seth gave him a little face. "Come on...you can't not be excited! It's your seventeenth birthday!" Ryan replied with a cold: "And your point is?" Seth made a series of strange noises. "Dude, that has got to mean something to you. What are you, like, uh, a man of no emotions?" Ryan stared at him out of the corner of his eye. Seth was strange today, even for him. "Did you guys plan a party for me or something?" he asked, suddenly seeing the truth in Seth's face as he said: "Uh, whah, now why would you, nooo" Ryan laughed. "You'd better call it off Seth, because I don't want one, and besides...you REALLY suck at lying." Seth smiled and looked at Ryan. The two were now in front of their lockers, getting their bags. "Come on, we didn't plan you a party, Ryan. But Marissa is having one today, well" he looks at his watch. "Actually, right now. So we can go over, and you now, like par-tay for a while, then go home and do, uh, nothing." Ryan, unconvinced, shrugged his shoulders. "Come on...you have my word on, on all of my comic books, that there will be no birthday party at Marissa's." He stared at Ryan with puppy eyes, hoping that would convince him. Ryan sighed. "Fine. Fine, ok, I'll go. But nothing special!" Seth did the little sideways nod he always did. "No birthday cakes." Said Ryan. Seth nodded. "No presents!" Seth once again nodded. "Ok. Let's go."  
  
They arrived at Marissa's five minutes later. Ryan was satisfied that it wasn't a birthday party. There were no decorations, no one foolishly yelling "SURPRISE!!" and nothing special. Just the way he liked it. But he couldn't help but want something special on his birthday. He had never had a birthday party, and wanted to know what it was like. At this boring party, there was no one to talk to. He didn't even know anyone there! No Marissa, no Summer, not even Luke. "Seth?" Ryan asked to Seth, who was in deep conversation with a junkie. "Yeah?" replied Seth. "I don't know anyone here, and it's kind of boring. Can we go?" Seth smiled and nodded approvingly.  
  
Everyone was busily working at the Cohen house. Sandy was putting up decorations with Luke, and Marissa, Summer, and Kirsten were making a cake, although the two teens were trying to convince Kirsten not to help. The place looked fantastic with confetti and balloons everywhere. A banner with "Happy 17th Birthday Ryan" hang in the living room. The doorbell rang. Everyone nervously hid. Sandy went to go check who it was. "It's ok, you guys! It's just another guest." He smiled and everyone went back to work. The mystery guest stayed in the foyer. "We're all done here!" said Sandy, a big grin on his face. He led the guest to the back of the living room, and they all hid. Whether he wanted to or not, Ryan was going to have a fantastic birthday, surrounded by family and friends.  
  
Seth was trying to get Ryan into a conversation. "Now, you see I think that Superman vs Wolverine would be incredibly unfair!" Ryan shook his head. "Sure Superman has all the powers, but Wolverine could tip his claws with kryptonite. And isn't the metal stuff his claws are made of indestructible?" Seth smiled. That was the most he'd heard Ryan talk all day. Seth opened the door slowly. All the lights were turned off. "Seth, turn on the lights." Seth stumbled around awkwardly. "Sorry dude, but I guess the power must have been shot off!" Ryan glared at him. Ryan walked into the living room, bumping into a table as he went. "Ow!" he muttered. "Seth! Lights, now!" Seth shrugged.   
  
Suddenly all the lights were on, and everyone was screaming: "SURPRISE!" Ryan couldn't help but smile at his family for doing this for him. "Happy birthday, kid!" said Sandy, putting a hand on Ryan's shoulder. Ryan scanned the room. He frowned as he saw someone familiar. "Mom?" 


	3. And they all ate cake!

Disclaimer: I still don't own the O.C. They still belong to FOX. *fist shaking* And that probably won't be changing for well, ever. If you're all about the drama, you can skip this chapter. Don't forget to review!  
  
Ryan's mother was standing right in front of him. The woman who abandoned him not once, but twice, was in front of his face. He didn't know whether he wanted to walk away or hug her. She left him, she kicked him out! But then again, if it weren't for her decision to leave him with the Cohens, he'd probably still be getting the crap beat out of him by A.J. Or Jim. Or one of his mom's many other boyfriends. He opened his mouth to say something, and closed it again. He couldn't think of the right words to say. "Hey mom, how's it goin'? Still spending days and nights getting drunk and letting your kids get beat up?" Uh...no that wouldn't work, he thought. It seemed like forever as everyone's eyes were focused directly on him. "Uh...hi?" said Dawn. Ryan smiled a little and looked down. "Hi." He said. Sandy cleared his throat. "Are we gonna stand here all night and watch these two say hi to each other, or are we gonna have a party?"   
  
They all left to separate places, leaving Ryan and Dawn in the living room. She gave him a big hug that Ryan didn't know how to respond to. "I came to see you on your birthday, babe." she whispered. "I can see that." replied Ryan. "Now come on, Ry...-" Ryan stopped her. "Don't call me that." Dawn's eyes welled up a little with tears. "I'm sorry Ryan. I just wanted to do what was best for you. Why don't you just have fun on your birthday, huh?" Ryan looked away. "That'd be a first." He mumbled under his breath, remembering his 14th birthday when his mom's current boyfriend at the time beat him up so bad that he blacked out for the whole day. Ah, happy memories. He looked at his mom. She looked so earnest, so...sober. He smiled a little. "Ok...I'll try to have fun."   
  
Ryan looked around to see a giant birthday cake with the words: "Happy Birthday Chino!" on it. He laughed as he saw it. Marissa gave him a kiss as Kirsten cut a slice of cake and handed it to Ryan. "First slice for you, Ryan!" she said. Ryan gave her a smile and started to eat the delicious looking cake. "I made it from scratch!" said Kirsten. Ryan almost spat out the cake. Everyone laughed. "Maybe this is actually gonna be fun", thought Ryan as he laughed with everybody once again. In the corner of the room, Dawn looked at the Cohens and her son enviously. They had everything. The incredible house, money, and now her son. She felt embarrassed just standing in their house. Like she was trash that needed to be taken to the curb. She took out her ratty cell phone and made a call.  
  
A few hours later, after everyone had left, Ryan and Seth sat down on the sofa. "I don't think I've ever been this full in my life." said Ryan. He was really happy. He and his mother had made up, He had just had the best birthday party ever, and he was back together with Marissa. Nothing could be better. "Seth..." he said. "Thanks, you know, for the party. It was... fun." Seth made a face of mock curiosity. "What was that, Ryan? Did you just say it was FUN?" Ryan laughed. "Well buddy, it ain't over yet. Oh no. See us Cohens have got a little birthday tradition." Seth looked at Sandy, who was smiling at his two sons. Ryan smiled a little. "What family tradition?" Seth looked like he was going to explode as he said: "We rent like, 10 movies and pull an all nighter!" Ryan looked at Sandy, and then at Seth. "A what?" Seth rolled his eyes and repeated. "We watch movies all night. You get to pick!" Ryan grinned and nodded his head. Sandy took him into another room. "Why don't you tell your mother that she can stay here for a while?" His mother listened from the kitchen and smiled. Maybe the Atwood luck had changed after all.   
  
She was shaking slightly, and went over to the cabinet to get some alcohol. She could always pour a mean gin. She drank the contents of the glass cup and sighed. Suddenly Ryan walked in. "Hey ma!" he said cheerfully. Dawn dropped the cup. "Shit..." she mumbled. Ryan grabbed a broom and helped his mom pick up the shards of glass. He half smiled as she looked at him. "I'm gonna go rent some movies, mom...but, you can make yourself comfortable. The Cohens, they uh, they said you could stay here for a while." Dawn gave him a hug. "You want me to stay and help you settle in?" asked Ryan. "No." said Dawn, surprisingly fast. "I mean...you go rent some movies. It's not like I wont be here when you come back." She tried to laugh, but the final comment seemed to make Ryan uncomfortable. He walked over to the Cohens, who were putting on their jackets and shoes. "Yeah, I'm gonna stay here and, you know, catch up with my mom." said Ryan, not looking up at his family. "Alright." Said Sandy. As they left the house, Seth yelled back: "I'll make some good choices for you Ryan! A little bit o' fighting, just how you like it?" Ryan laughed and nodded. He watched his new family drive away into the night. 


	4. I hate the sound of broken glass

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN THE O.C.! Or Blockbuster, which shows up in there somewhere. That would be cool if I did though. If I ever do own Blockbuster or the O.C., I'll make sure to tell you. Feel free to review, or insult if you really must. At this point I'd take any recognition. Lol. -Thank you so much to the people that reviewed. I really appreciate it! :) -  
  
Seth sat in the car, looking out of the window. He thought about his life. About Summer, his parents, and Ryan. Though he never said so to Ryan, he thought of him as his brother. His really cool big brother. Not like most of the Newport losers that he went to school with. Except Luke. Luke was ok. He smiled as he thought about all the trouble they'd gotten into since he arrived. The car stopped in front of a huge Blockbuster. They all stepped out. Sandy was really looking for forward to renting some good movies.  
  
Ryan walked back inside the house. He heard a noise and looked outside. There was someone jumping in the bushes. "Probably one of Luke's friends." he thought as he turned around to look for his mom. He saw her near the door looking out. "Mom? What are you doing?" She turned around, a bit surprised to see her son. "Just looking outside, babe. This place is so beautiful...Why didn't you go with the Cohens?" Ryan looked a little hurt. "I thought maybe we could talk...the Cohens said you could stay here for a while." Dawn looked a little sad as she slurred out: "Sorry I'm a little distant today, Ryan. How 'bout we talk over a cup of coffee." Ryan looked happy. He thought that maybe his mother had finally changed. "I'll get you some clean sheets, toothbrush, stuff like that." he whispered quietly. She grinned at him. She attempted not to breathe in his face so he wouldn't know she was drunk. Luckily, he turned around to go. When she was sure he was gone, she sneaked into the pool house.  
  
Ryan went to find things that would make Dawn feel at home. He came back a few minutes later. There was no coffee on the counter, and no Dawn. "Mom?" He said, looking around. The balcony that led outside was wide open, and a soft breeze floated onto his face. He walked outside. The lights in the pool-house were all turned on. "At least she didn't run off." he thought. He went off towards the pool house. He was holding on to the faint hope that maybe his mother had changed. Maybe she wasn't the drunken, mean mother she used to be. He opened the pool house door without knocking. After all, it was his. He heard sounds. The uneasy rasp of his mother's voice, and someone else's. "Mom?" he asked, trying to smile. She looked over the couch. She looked a little drunk, but Ryan wasn't worried about that. He was worried about the person sitting next to his drunk mother. "Who are you talking to?" He asked softly. His mother stood up, trying to make sure he couldn't see who it was. He looked over her shoulder. "A.J." He said it as more of a statement, and not a question. Of course it was A.J. Whenever things were going good, she'd bring in her boyfriend and ruin everything. Well not for her, at least. For her as long as there was alcohol in the house, she was perfectly content.   
  
"Hey kid." said A.J. He sounded sober. That was a bad thing. He hit harder when he was sober. A.J. was, as Ryan used to say, one of best of the worst of his mother's boyfriends. He hit him, yeah, but only when he thought he deserved it. Like if he stole his booze. Ryan took the beatings most of the time, but every once and a while, he fought back. If A.J. was sober, he'd remember it the next day, and then he'd be screwed. Another thing Ryan knew about A.J. was that he never did anything without having a reason for it. That's what really frightened him right now.  
  
"What do you want." demanded Ryan, trying unsuccessfully to mask his fear. A.J. looked stunned. "What do you mean? I can't visit my girlfriend's son every once and a while?" Ryan glared at him. "I thought you two broke up." he said. A.J. shrugged. "We got back together." He walked past Ryan, who closed his eyes and turned around. A.J. looked at all the things in Ryan's pool house. "This is a nice place you got here, kid." he stated, picking up a picture of Marissa and Ryan. Ryan grabbed the photo from his hands. "What do you want?" he growled, angry now. A.J. looked at him. "Your mom called me a couple hours ago and said we should, you know, help you guys clean up." he smirked. Ryan looked a bit confused. "Clean up?" A.J. nodded. "You know, since you guys have got so much, I figured you could, how can I put this, share the wealth." he looked directly at Ryan's eyes, who looked down. "You're robbing the house." he whispered, almost to himself. A.J. considered giving him a chance. "I'll give you a chance, Ryan. If you help us, you can come along, leave these rich assholes behind." Ryan laughed. "You have got to be kidding me." he said. A.J. shrugged in a way that it made it seem like he actually cared. "Your loss." he said, drawing his fist back to punch.  
  
Ryan looked up, but unfortunately a second too late to block, so instead he received a monster sized punch to the face. His cheek instantly burned in pain, and he doubled over. A.J. took his moment of weakness to kick him in the stomach. He huffed and fell to the floor. A.J. punched him a few more times. He really seemed to be enjoying beating up his girlfriend's son. Ryan attempted to get up, but it was no use. His face ached and he felt like he was going to puke. Then, as suddenly as the attack had begun, it ended. He heard his mother yell: "Cut it out, we gotta get out of here soon" She put a hand on A.J.'s shoulder. It was shaken off as he turned around. He pointed a grease stained finger at Dawn. "You stay out of this, bitch." he hissed. Ryan, who had been in the process of standing up, leaned over a little, hand on his stomach. He turned A.J. around briskly, and dealt him a blow to the face. "Don't talk to my mom like that, you no good freeloader!" he shouted as he managed to get another punch in. Through the element of surprise, Ryan had managed two good shots on A.J., but the truth is A.J. was twice his size, and to add to that, now he was pissed as hell. He pushed an already weakened Ryan over.   
  
A.J. didn't really want to kill the teenager, he just wanted him to be unconscious so he wouldn't be a bother. Deep down, he knew that Ryan wouldn't rat them out. Dawn was his mom, and as much as he disliked her, he still loved her and cared for her. He continued to punch Ryan, who was now bleeding profusely from the nose. He hated the damn kid. He had no idea why, but he did. Even though Ryan had stopped moving, he picked him up by the lapels. Ryan's head flopped against his own shoulder as he fluttered his eyes open. A.J. sighed somberly and shoved Ryan through the glass doors. The sound of the glass shattering rang out through the pool house and made Dawn jump. She had found some booze in Ryan's cabinets, and had decided to drink it. She laughed at the sight of her unmoving son. "Oops." she spattered out. A.J. shook his head and tossed the bottle of vodka out of her hands. "Come on. We gotta get out soon." He took out a bunch of black garbage bags out of his duffel bag, and started grabbing some of the more valuable items from Ryan's room. Dawn, in the background, tried to sober up. If not for her son, then for the money that was to be made from his new family.  
  
***How do ya like that? Please review! More soon, I promise! Sorry about the long chapter, but I didn't want to leave it in the middle of nothing. :)*** 


	5. He's a fighter!

Disclaimer: I don't own the O.C. There. Are you happy now? Kidding. Thank you once again for reviewing, it really makes my day. By the way, I probably won't be updating again for a little bit, since I've got school, etc. But I will try!  
  
A.J. had finished packing the black bags full of Ryan's things. His stereo system, his money, and anything valuable he could find. Dawn had helped him a little, but not very much. He was quick, and the raiding of Ryan's room had taken about 10 minutes. Now it was time for the rest of the house. He picked up the bags and gave one to Dawn. "Come on. Let's get over to the rest of the house."  
  
Ryan had fallen unconscious after he hit the ground. Now he was finally waking up. He turned his head slowly to see that A.J. and his mom were still in the pool house. His neck was considerably sore, but at least he could move it, and that was always a good thing. He could barely see, and he could taste copper in his mouth. "Great." he mumbled. Breathing hurt. A lot. He held himself up with his arms, let out a few wheezes, and fell back down. He knew he needed to get out of the area. He just didn't know how. He supported himself on his hands again, and crawled a few steps before falling back down. His head ached and he got really dizzy whenever he tried to crawl. He knew he probably had a concussion or something. But he had to keep trying. He finally got behind some bushes, and passed out.   
  
A.J. and Dawn walked warily out of the pool house, black garbage bags in hand. "Shit." said A.J., looking at the ground where Ryan had been. "Where the fuck'd he go?!" he asked angrily, turning around. He put the bags down carefully, and started searching for the teen. He soon found him in the bushes, as Ryan started to open his eyes. A.J. laughed cruelly. "That's one thing I like about you, kid. You're a fighter." He leaned in close to Ryan's damaged face. "Unfortunately, that's the ONLY thing I like about you." Ryan hid his fear by observing his mother pacing into the house with the bags of items. "Is that...my...stuff?" He asked gingerly. A.J. nodded, smirking a little. He picked Ryan up and tried to drag him into the house. Dawn came out to help him.   
  
It took the two of them three minutes to get Ryan into the house. Once they were inside, Dawn tried to lay Ryan on the ground without causing any more damage. A.J., on the other hand, had other plans. He abruptly let go of Ryan's arms, and the boy fell to the ground. He groaned in pain and turned onto his side. "You really are a nuisance." said A.J. He sighed heavily as he searched for his gun in his torn duffel bag. He soon found it, and loaded it. He only had one round, so he knew he would have to use the bullets wisely. Hopefully, if he ended up indulging in his urge to kill Ryan, he'd only have to use one bullet. He needed those extra bullets to scare some cops just in case they got caught. Which they wouldn't. He was fighting an inward battle. He wanted to kill Ryan, but what if they actually did get caught? Breaking and entering was definitely better than murder, but on the other hand, the little runt could rat them out. And it certainly was better to be safe than sorry. In then end, he decided to give Ryan another chance. "Ok, Ryan. This is your last chance. Are you sure you don't want to help us?" Ryan sat up and looked at the gun that was now pointed at his head. He shut his eyes tight. "Ok." he whispered. "What was that?" asked A.J. in disbelief.  
  
"I said ok!" repeated Ryan, louder that time. He didn't want to help A.J., but he knew he would have to if he wanted to live. Which he did. He opened his eyes and looked at A.J. His vision was blurry, but he could see A.J. extending his hand out for him to grip. He stared at it apprehensively before offering his own hand out. A.J. pulled him up. "You made a good choice, kid." he said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Ryan gave him a small smile, which was actually more of a grimace than a smile. He limped towards a black garbage bag that was lying on the ground, and in an attempt to "help", he asked A.J. "What...do you want...me to take?" He was referring to stealing the Cohen's belongings, but instead of telling Ryan what to pack, he chuckled. "You can barely move, let alone lug bags of stuff to the truck." Ryan looked at him with a confused look on his countenance. "So I know another way you can help." Ryan gulped. "Do the Cohens have safes, vaults, you know, stuff like that?" Ryan was too shocked that he knew his family's name to think clearly. "How do you know their last name?" A.J. rolled his eyes. "Your mom." Ryan looked back at his mom, who stopped shoving things into the black bag to look at her son. He turned around again to stare at A.J. "They have...vaults in the back room." he pointed in the direction of the room. "Good..." said A.J. quietly. "Do you know the combinations?" Ryan shook his head, and it made him dizzy. "Why not?" asked A.J., maddening. "It's not my stuff! Why would they tell me how to take their stuff?" Ryan glared at A.J., who as well as being furious, was now out of patience. "You really are good for nothing!" he said. He threw Ryan against a wall.   
  
A large vase and a decorative suitcase fell from one of Kirsten's shelves and directly onto his leg. "Just my luck" he thought as he screamed in pain. His head fell down against his chest and he groaned in pain. He didn't know if he wanted to fight anymore. He was tired and in pain, and he just didn't want to try now. He opened his eyes to see A.J. once again standing over him with a gun. "Do it!" he screamed. "Just kill me and get it over with!" A solitary tear went down his cheek, and he closed his eyes tight. He was shaking, and whenever he moved, pain ran through his body. He started breathing a little quicker. "This is it..." he thought. But the gunshot never came. He opened his eyes slowly to see his mother whispering something in A.J.'s ear.  
  
Dawn was trying to save her son. It was her fault he was getting his ass kicked, and she felt bad, but in a way, she thought he deserved it. He didn't help her when he got all the money he would ever need. He didn't even call her! To her, he was an ungrateful brat. Nevertheless, she didn't want him dead. "Please, baby...Don't kill him. Just leave him alone. He won't be any more trouble, I promise...Please?" she whispered quietly so only A.J. would hear. A.J. nodded, still trying to decide whether or not he should kill Ryan. He grimaced. A part of him still wanted the damn kid dead, but another part of him wanted to leave him alone. He finally drew the gun back, and pistol whipped Ryan across the face. The boy's head sagged against his chest, and he fell unconscious. Dawn looked at A.J. gratefully, but he didn't want her to think he was in any way "whipped", since he had done something she asked. "Did I say you could stop?!" he yelled. She quickly wheeled around to go back to packing things into the black bags.  
  
***Sorry about that chapter. I'm sick and tired, but I still felt like writing one. Better chapters soon to come!!!!I promise! *pinky swears* And more Seth, Sandy, Kirsten coming soon. Give me some suggestions y'all! *** 


	6. Where the hell am I?

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to FOX. Thanks again for the reviews. I really am thankful for them. By the way, this story isn't even close from over. Just thought I should tell you. Don't forget to review!  
  
The three Cohens were at the movie store. The skimmed through the hundreds of movies. "Ooh! Rebel Without a Cause! Ryan would love this!" Sandy laughed. "What generation are you from, Seth?" Seth made a face. Sandy, who was still laughing, glanced towards Kirsten. She appeared to be sad. She looked at the ground and sighed. Sandy walked towards her as Seth continued picking movies. "What's the matter sweetie?" He asked, putting his arm over her shoulder. "Nothing...It's just..." she stopped herself before she finished her sentence. "It's just what? What is it? Are you really a mutant sent from outer space to destroy the planet?" Kirsten laughed and kiddingly punched him in the shoulder. "You've been hanging around Seth too much. No, it's nothing important. But I don't think it was such a good idea to invite Dawn to the party." Seth suddenly showed up behind her. "Are you doubting my plan?" Kirsten jumped a little at the sound of his voice. She turned around to face her son. She put on a sympathetic face. "No, babe! It's just, Ryan doesn't deal with things very well, and I'm afraid that if his mother leaves again, he'll have a breakdown or something. I'm worried about Ryan. You understand that, right?" Seth looked away. "Yeah, I understand, I guess. I just wanted him to get along with her."  
  
Kirsten knew that nothing good could come of Dawn Atwood's visit to their home. All she did was cause pain, and she had no idea why she had gone along with Seth and Sandy's plan to try to get the two to make up. She was really concerned about Ryan. She had a lurching feeling in her gut that something was wrong. "Sandy?" she practically whispered. "Yes my darling?" said Sandy with a stupid grin. He wiped the grin off his face when he looked at his pale wife. "Do you mind if I go outside and make a call?" Sandy shook his head. "Go ahead. Who you callin'?" She shrugged. "Just Ryan. I...I wanna make sure he's doing alright." Sandy nodded and gave her a kiss. Kirsten walked through the sliding doors and took out her cell phone. She shivered slightly. It was freezing outside, but it was a beautiful night. The stars were bright, and it was perfectly clear. There were no clouds or anything.  
  
She dialed the numbers to their house. She waited through one ring...two rings...three rings...She was beginning to get nervous. They were both supposed to be there, then why weren't they picking up the damn phone! Just as she thought this, Dawn picked up the phone. "H-hello?" she asked skeptically. "Hey Dawn, it's Kirsten." she said, filled with relief. "Oh! Hello Kirsten." said Dawn, her voice also notably relieved. "I just called to, uh, make sure you and Ryan were alright." Dawn paused before answering. "Why would you think otherwise?" She was getting very worried that perhaps her stupid son had called the Cohens to help him. "Oh, no reason. I just wanted to check up on you...How is Ryan?"   
  
Dawn was comforted by the fact that it was very possible that Kirsten didn't know about their little free shopping spree, but annoyed that Kirsten didn't trust her with her own son. Even though she shouldn't have been trusted, but still. "Listen, bitch. Ryan is my son, not yours, understood? Just because you pretend to care about him does NOT make him YOUR son! He will ALWAYS be my son, no matter what. So don't act like you're his mother just because you took him in like a stray puppy, alright?" Before Kirsten could get over the initial shock of being yelled at, the phone clicked and there was a long 'beep'. Kirsten put away the phone. She wondered if perhaps Dawn had gotten drunk as she walked back into the movie store.   
  
"How'd it go?" asked Sandy cheerfully. She didn't exactly feel like upsetting the boys, or reliving the insults she'd been given over the phone. "Fine!" she said, giving her family a big, fake smile. Seth shrugged and walked off with all of his movies in hand, but Sandy did not look convinced. "Fine? You're starting to sound like Ryan. What happened?" Kirsten really didn't want him to press the matter. "I don't want to talk about it..." Sandy laughed. "Even more like Ryan! Is everything alright over there?" Kirsten nodded. "I guess so, as far as I know." she sighed sadly. She had finally shaken off her nosy husband, but she still couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong.  
  
"Done." said A.J., clapping his hands together. He had just finished taking everything they could get from the Cohens, and packed it in the back of his truck. He walked into the living room, where Dawn was standing over the phone. "Let's go, babe." he shouted at her. He walked closer to her. Dawn turned to face him. She had bags under her blue eyes, and you could tell she had been crying. "I...I don't think I can leave him like this." she said, her eyes welling up with tears. "Why the hell not?!" asked A.J. "He's my baby...I just can't abandon him again." she looked down at the ground to avoid his glare. "You wanna stay with him, then you stay with him!" he yelled. But Dawn shook her head, and finally met his glare. "Can't we take him with us? Please!" she pleaded with A.J., who kept glaring at her. "Please? We can take him to the hospital and run away! Or say that we found him in an alley or something!"   
  
A.J. was starting to see reason in his girlfriend's ranting. He didn't want her to see him as weak, so he still refused. "I'll make it up to you...I promise, babe!" she said, winking at him. He was finally won over. "Fine. But he does anything that gets us caught, or attracts any kind of attention, and he's dead. I've already given him enough chances!" Dawn nodded. If her son messed it up one more time, then he deserved to die in her opinion. A.J. walked over to Ryan, and put him over his shoulder. Dawn opened the door for him to make sure that the coast was clear. A.J. put the teen in the back seat, lying down. He sat in the front seat and slammed the door. Dawn jumped into the car with A.J. They drove off into the night.  
  
Ryan opened his eyes slowly. He wasn't even sure if he was still alive. "Maybe I'm in hell! Or heaven..." he thought to himself. He shivered. It was freezing, wherever he was. "If this were hell, it would be hotter, and if it were heaven, I wouldn't be cold, or in pain." he thought again. He couldn't figure out where he was, but he sure as hell wasn't dead. He saw a radio and a steering wheel. "So I'm in a car, but who's?" he thought again. His head was throbbing, and he hurt all over. He bent over a little to touch his leg, and he almost screamed. The pain was intense, and he fought hard not to black out. Then he remembered. The vase and the suitcase fell on his leg when A.J. pushed him against the wall. He heard voices outside. Both doors of the truck were open. If he knew his mother and her boyfriend, they were probably too drunk to even notice the door was open. "I don't care what I fuckin' said! I don't want him alive!" he heard A.J. scream. "Please, A.J.! You said we could take him to the hospital!" He heard A.J. snort. "What makes you think he won't rat us out?" Dawn paused before answering. "He won't! Because...because he knows what will happen if he does!"   
  
A.J. wasn't going to hear any more of her bullshit. "But the damage is still done! He rats us out, and we go to jail! Unless we hire someone, we can't exactly kill him from jail." Dawn, defeated, gave in. "Fine. Kill him. Just make it quick."   
  
*  
  
The Cohens happily parked in the driveway. They walked out of the car, Seth with bags of movies in his hands. Sandy opened the door to the house and led Kirsten in. Sandy had been looking at Seth, so he hadn't seen the disaster that was their house. Kirsten put her hand over her mouth. "Oh my god." she blurted out. "What's going-" Seth was cut short by the sight in front of him. He dropped the bags of movies. "Shit" whispered Seth. "What the hell happened?!" asked Sandy, looking at his destroyed house.   
  
There was barely anything in it, and whatever was in it was completely demolished. He ran in, as if he were going to catch the culprit red handed. He looked around, then a horrible thought occurred to him. "Ryan?!" he screamed. "RYAN!?" repeated Kirsten, who was about to have a nervous breakdown. Sandy ran outside. The glass doors to Ryan's pool house were broken, and there were glass shards everywhere. He saw blood on the ground. "Kirsten! Look for Ryan upstairs!" he screamed, tears already flowing down his cheeks. He slowly tip-toed into the pool house. It was also ruined. There was barely anything in it, and there was a photo of Ryan and Marissa on the ground.  
  
Seth looked around the house. There was blood on the floor. He didn't even want to think about who's blood it was, but he already had the terrible thought seared into his mind that it was Ryan's. Kirsten ran down the stairs just as Sandy walked in. "He's not in the pool house." said Sandy sadly. "He's not upstairs." said Kirsten, her voice cracking. "Dawn's gone too..." said Kirsten, wiping her face. She was a strong woman. She did not cry. She kept repeating those thoughts in her head, to make sure she didn't cry. She didn't want to scare Seth.  
  
*   
  
Ryan's eyes widened. His own mother had agreed to have him killed. He quietly snuck out of the truck, his leg searing with pain when he moved it. He stumbled around, hiding behind bushes, until he got into a forest. He took out his cell phone, and crawled around looking for reception. He finally found some. He put his finger on the 9, to dial 911, but he just couldn't do it. Even though his mother had wanted him dead, he couldn't do that to her. He hated himself for not being able to send his mother to prison, but he still loved her. He dialed the Cohen's phone number instead, hoping they were home already. "Pick up, pick up, pick up" he whispered into the phone. He heard someone pick up. "Hello?" he whispered again into the phone.  
  
Sandy had nervously picked up the phone. He heard Ryan's familiar voice over the phone, but it sounded different. It sounded scared. "Ryan? Ryan is that you?" he asked, loud enough that Kirsten and Seth ran up to him. "Yeah it's me..." said Ryan, looking around to make sure there was no one behind him. "What the hell happened? Where are you? Are you...are you okay?" Ryan gulped. "I'm okay, but I don't exactly know where I am...in a forest somewhere, I...ran away, so I didn't get the chance to see where I was." Sandy was dumbfounded. "But what the hell happened? We came home to find the house in ruins and you...gone. There was blood on the ground, we were freaking out! We were on our way to call the cops!" He could tell Ryan was on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you...I'm sorry." he whispered. "It's okay, Ryan, everything's gonna be okay. Just stay on the line, okay?" Ryan whimpered out an "okay."   
  
Sandy was on the edge of a breakdown. He could tell something had happened to Ryan. I mean who else's blood would be on the ground? He tried to stay calm, for Ryan's sake. "I'm going to call the cops, and they'll try to figure out where you are." Ryan shook his head. "No, no don't call the cops, please Mr Cohen, don't call the cops." He coughed sharply, trying to be quiet. "Ryan, are you sure you're alright?" asked Sandy, full of fear for his adopted son. He heard no response, just the sound of quick breathing. Then he heard a scream. 


	7. Breakdowns, secrets, and a bump on the n...

Disclaimer: I once again don't own the OC, they're owned by FOX, etc. You know the dealio! Hee. Don't forget to review!  
  
*** a few minutes earlier***   
  
A.J. had heard the noise of the squeaky truck door moving slightly, but he had decided to ignore it, instead focusing on the issue at hand. He had taken his gun, which he now kept in his pants, and had started slowly pacing to the truck, beckoning Dawn to join him. She shook her head, knowing full well what was about to happen. She didn't want to see her son get his head blown off. A.J. mumbled a quick: "Shit!", and jumped out of the truck. He took the cover off the belongings they had stolen in the back of the truck, and attempted to search for Ryan there. "Your son is gone." he said snidely. Dawn couldn't help but be pleased. Suddenly, A.J. heard a whimper. It came from the forest.   
  
He knew he shouldn't have hidden out in a forest. They had driven by this park, "Newport's Only Forest", there was a lake, a forest, some benches. He figured he could kill the kid and throw him in the lake. But the damn kid always found a way to avoid death. There was that one time when he was 15, and A.J. had beaten him so bad, he actually thought he was dead, and then Trey took him to the hospital, and the punk lived! A.J. had been so pissed at both his girlfriend's kids. Trey for taking Ryan to the hospital, and Ryan for living.  
  
He took a baseball bat from the back of the truck. It had an autograph on it. Ryan could barely walk. He couldn't have made it very far. He wasn't going to kill him just yet. He wanted him to have a painful death, after all the trouble he'd caused. He tip-toed into the forest. He heard Ryan's voice. "No, no don't call the cops, please Mr Cohen, don't call the cops." There was he was, right in front of him. He could have killed him right then and there, but the person on the phone would have heard the gun shot, and would have certainly called the police. Instead, he grabbed hold of the hitting end of the baseball bat, and with the small end, hit Ryan in the back of the head. He heard him scream, and the cell phone dropped to his side.   
  
"RYAN?!" screamed Sandy. "RYAN ARE YOU OKAY?" he couldn't help but raise his voice. Ryan had sounded scared and hurt, and he knew it would be a better idea to call the cops. But hadn't Ryan said he had run away? He wasn't sure if he meant run away from them or from something much worse.   
  
A.J. thought about throwing away the phone, but then a better thought occurred to him. He wondered how much the Cohens cared about their little punk teenager. He picked up the phone from the ground. "Hello?" he asked pleasantly. "Who is this?" asked Sandy, lacking the pleasantness in his voice. Kirsten and Seth were trying to listen in on the conversation. "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that I have something of yours." Sandy closed his eyes. It was the worse of the two. "What do you want?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady. "That's a very good question, and one that also depends on your love for Ryan. How much is he worth to you?" Sandy couldn't answer that question. "Are you going to answer?" asked A.J. after a long pause. "Or do I have to kill the bastard?" Sandy immediately let out a loud: "NO!" He sighed. Please don't kill him." He was trying to keep himself from sobbing. "How much is it exactly that you want?" A.J. smirked on the other end of the line. "I want $500,000 if you want the kid intact. Any less and I start shooting. Meet me in an hour at 'Elk Lake'. Bring the money. You come late and I start messing up your kid, call the cops and I throw him in the lake." Sandy wrote everything down as quickly as he could. He wondered if there was a bank in Newport that was still open at 11:00 p.m. He said a quick "okay" and heard the line go dead.  
  
He had been shocked at the flatness in the man's voice when he spoke about killing and innocent teenager. He took the piece of paper that had all the information on it, and put one hand on a table. He hadn't noticed there was a shard of glass on it, and had cut himself. "Oh crap..." he murmured under his breath. Kirsten went up to him and gave him a big hug. "Let me take a look at that cut." she said lovingly. He pulled his hand away. "They're gonna kill him if we don't help him, Kirsten..." he whispered, holding back tears. "What kind of person would threaten the life of a kid?!" His emotions had finally gotten the best of him, and he burst into tears. Kirsten let him sob. He never cried, and he needed to release his pent up feelings. "Sandy..."she whispered. "What are we supposed to do to get him back?" Sandy took the piece of paper from the desk and handed it to her, careful not to get any blood on it. "$500 grand!?" she exclaimed, her mouth opening in shock.   
  
Seth, who had been looming in the background, had suddenly decided to speak up. "Dad?" he asked. Sandy looked up, all of a sudden taking recognition of his son's presence. "Ryan's ok, isn't he?" Sandy attempted to smile, to make his son feel better, but the smile didn't appear on his face. "He's ok, Seth, but...somebody..." the words wouldn't come out. He had barely registered it in his mind, the fact that Ryan had been kidnaped, but to him, if he said it out loud it would become real, not just his worst nightmare. He sighed. His son deserved to know. Maybe Seth could help them, keep them calm. "Ryan's been kidnaped." He gulped. Seth's eyes were clouded with doubt. "Kidnaped? As in, like, stolen? Buh...whah..." random babbling started escaping from Seth's mouth as he tried to comprehend the situation. "They're asking for $500,000 if we want him back." said Kirsten in a voice that was barely audible. Seth stood, still mouth still open in shock. "Where are we going to get 500 grand in the middle of the night?!" he asked, knowing that not even the Newport banks were open at 11:00, although some noopsies had asked of it. Apparently they did not want to have their plastic surgeries during the day.  
  
Sandy suddenly stood up and walked away. Kirsten and Seth looked at each other uncertainly, wondering where the hell he was going. "Sandy?" asked Kirsten, looking at Seth. Sandy didn't respond. Finally, the two Cohens got up and followed Sandy. They saw him fidgeting with a keypad in a room they had never been in before. "Uh, dad...what the hell is this?" asked Seth, looking around at the white room. His father did not answer his question, but instead let out a happy "Got it!" and looked back at them. Seth raised a quizzical eyebrow at his dad. Sandy moved aside a door that Seth hadn't even seen there, and stepped aside to let them view what was inside. Kirsten peered over Seth's shoulder. She was Sandy's wife, and not even she had seen this room. Inside the vault were thousands of dollars. There was money from top to bottom. Surely there was more than the money they needed to get Ryan back in that room. "Sandy, do you want to explain to me what the hell is going on?" asked Kirsten.   
  
Ryan was groggily taking note of his surroundings. He heard the loud sound of the truck roaring, with its crappy engine. He slowly opened his eyes. He thought for sure he'd be dead by now. He tried to lift his hand up to his head, which felt like he had the most intense migraine anyone could possibly have. He found that he couldn't move his hands. He started to get nervous. The strange thing was that he hadn't gotten very worried until now. He felt that he had betrayed the Cohens, betrayed Sandy, by considering helping A.J. and his fool of a mother. He didn't think he had anything to live for, so he didn't even care if he died. But now, after he had spontaneously decided to call his foster father, and he had seemed so worried, it had finally hit him. He had a family. A family that cared about him, and didn't want him to get hurt. If he died, it would injure his family very deeply, and he would never want to put his loved ones through pain.  
  
He finally decided to look at his hands. He was surprised to find that they were bound by rope. "That's in case you try anything again." he heard A.J. say from the front seat, clearly very proud of himself. "Why didn't you just kill me then?" asked Ryan, regretting it instantly. But A.J. simply laughed it off. "Those Cohens really do care enough about you to pay me not to kill you. So I figured I could use that to my advantage." Ryan looked at him curiously and moved his tied up hands down to his pant pocket, where he usually kept his cell phone. He had already forgotten the baseball to the back of the head that caused the phone to go flying. He seemed to be forgetting things easily these past few hours.   
  
A.J. saw what he was doing and took his cell phone from the ledge in front of the steering wheel. "Lookin' for this, kid?" he asked. Ryan looked crestfallen. "Don't worry. As long as your little friends come through with the money, you'll be alright." Ryan sighed. He felt tears about to fall down his cheek, but he fought them back. He was not going to cry in front of A.J., no matter how much he wanted to. He pulled his bound hands up to his face. He started trying to chew through the rope. A.J. had been watching him, making sure he didn't try anything stupid. He grabbed the gun and pointed it at him, keeping his eyes on the road. "Hands down. Now." he said calmly. Ryan obeyed the command and stared straight ahead, hoping this wasn't going to be his last night alive.   
  
A.J. parked near the lake, just in case things got bloody. Some teenagers that were smoking pot had seen them at the park, and looked at them suspiciously. He didn't want anything to ruin their chance at money, and he wasn't about to kill a bunch of rich kids, so he had moved. He sat waiting in the car, hoping that lady luck was with him. The rich folks had to be there in 45 minutes, so he was just lounging as Ryan slept in the back seat. Ryan stirred and opened his eyes. "Hey kid, just relax, alright? We got a real long 45 minutes ahead of us." Ryan nodded and closed his eyes slowly.   
  
Sandy pulled the money out and Seth and Kirsten counted it. They got everything they could to put it in. A big box, a bag, and a suitcase they found on the ground. Sandy said nothing as Seth blabbered on like he always did when he was nervous. "You know I think the ratio is pretty good. You know, of alive kidnapés to dead ones. I-I think that Ryan has a very, very, very good chance, right?" Kirsten didn't answer. Sandy just nodded. "Well thank you for the reassurance." said Seth sadly. "You're welcome." he responded to himself. Sandy looked at him sadly.   
  
Sandy had been thinking about Ryan, but he had finally calmed himself down enough to count quicker. He needed to stop thinking about the bad things that could happen to Ryan and focus on what they needed to do to get him back. Ryan was the only one besides Sandy who knew about the vault. Not even Kirsten knew. Well, now she knew, but Ryan had known before all of them. Ryan had been very distant after the Oliver fiasco, and Sandy wanted to get through to him. When he finally got a chance to talk to him, he asked him if he trusted him. Ryan had sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Well who else am I supposed to trust?" Sandy had not liked the answer. "I don't want you to trust me because you have to. I want you to trust me because you actually do." Ryan just looked at the floor. Sandy had stood up and started to walk out of the pool house. "Come on." he said, making wild gestures for Ryan to follow him. Ryan stood from the bed and shuffled over behind Sandy, keeping his eyes on the ground. Sandy had shown him the vault, and Ryan was shocked. "Aren't you scared that I might tell someone, or try to take it or something?" he had mumbled quietly after they had closed the vault and sat down to drink some coffee. "Nope." said Sandy, very matter of factly. "But there must have more than 3/4 of a million bucks in there!" Sandy shrugged. "I trust that you won't tell anybody." Ryan laughed and finally looked Sandy in the eyes. "Thanks." he said. 


	8. Super Seth saves the day!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE OC. There. Done. Please review, and I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, I was busy. Sooooo....R&R! This chapter is going to be a very dramatic(I hope) one, *shifty eyes* so enjoy! There's a bit of language, because A.J.'s a swearer.   
  
The car ride to Elk Lake was silent. Seth just stared out of the window, trying to take in all of what was happening. Kirsten was trying to be strong for her family and for Ryan. She knew if she cried in his presence it would make him feel even worse, so she tried to prepare herself for any condition that Ryan might be in. She was driving, because she didn't know if Sandy was ok. He had barely said anything while they were counting the money, and he had sat in the car without a word. They arrived at Elk Lake and saw a ratty looking truck on the grass. They didn't even bother to look at the license plate. They had enough to think about anyways.  
  
The stopped the car and Sandy turned to his wife and son. "Do you want to stay here?" Kirsten gazed at him determinately. "Not if my life depended on it." Sandy nodded reluctantly and stepped out of the car. Seth and Kirsten followed him. Seth was scared that maybe it was all a trap, and that the man that had kidnaped his brother would shoot them all on the spot. But they didn't hear anything except the sound of the water beating against the grainy sand, and the sound of the nocturnal animals coming out to eat. Seth looked at the truck intently. He couldn't see anything through the tinted windows, but he imagined Ryan inside. It killed him that his brother was so close to him and yet he couldn't help him.  
  
A.J. looked outside of the truck and heard the car stop. He loathed the Cohens. They were rich, kind, and happy. Well, they probably weren't happy today, but most of the time they were. He saw them walk out of the car, but they did not advance towards his truck. "Ok, Dawn. Stay here, and if anything happens, start the car right away, and I'll be back soon." Dawn gave him a kiss and Ryan scowled. "Thank you babe." she whispered in his ear. "For what?" he asked, confused. "For not killing him!" A.J. regarded her with a bit of sympathy. "Yeah." he said.   
  
"Come on, get up kid." he growled, completely changing his previously kind voice. Ryan sat up painfully and groaned. A.J. helped him up roughly, and Ryan carefully stepped out of the truck. A.J. once again left the door open. He slightly pushed Ryan, and the boy stumbled forward, almost tripping over his feet. He started limping, and A.J. helped him walk quicker. Ryan kept his eyes on the ground, so he didn't notice when A.J. drew his hand back to shove him forwards. The push came as a surprise to the teenager, and he tripped and fell to the ground. He coughed hoarsely and laid his cheek on the soft grass.   
  
"Ryan!" whimpered Kirsten, shocked at the mistreatment of her son. Seth looked surprised as well, his eyes darting back and forth from his mother to Ryan. Ryan heard his name being called and looked up carefully. "Mrs Cohen? Seth?" He was suddenly very worried. Sandy, alone, he could deal with being in temporary danger, but his best friend and his foster mother were too much to handle. "Get out of here! It isn't safe!" he grumbled, his voice as loud as he could make it. His outburst was received with a kick to the ribs, and he shut up immediately. But the kicks didn't stop. A.J. kicked him a few more times, before a distraught Kirsten shrieked out: "No, please leave him alone!". Ryan turned over onto his back, since the pain in his stomach was too intense. He then turned to the side and pulled his hands up to his face.   
  
Sandy stared at him intently, not making a noise or saying a single word. Kirsten was trying to get closer to Ryan, inching her way towards him while keeping an eye on A.J. Seth had stayed completely quiet, like his father, but the difference was that Seth looked as if he was about to explode, biting his bottom lip so hard that a small trickle of blood came out. He didn't mind the pain. It was taking his mind off the fact that the boy he thought of as a brother was lying on the ground, wounded, and he couldn't do anything about it. Kirsten got to her knees and crawled decisively over to the boy. A.J. wasn't paying attention to her. He was looking at the man in front of him. Sandy. He made it a point to showcase his prized possession, the gun, so that the man with the large eyebrows wouldn't take this as a big joke that shouldn't be taken seriously.   
  
"Hey, sweetie." whispered Kirsten, taking Ryan in her tiny arms. "You okay?" Ryan still didn't like that she was there. He was so scared that A.J. would freak and kill them all. She helped take the rope off his wrists, and the rope that had been there left a red indent on his wrists. Kirsten hugged him, and Seth who had been considering the situation, saw a flash of pain cross Ryan's face. "Ow." he whimpered. Kirsten loosened her grip. "I'm sorry hon." she murmured, trying to comfort him. She wiped his face with a few extra napkins she had in her pocket, and he moaned in pain when she touched his nose. "Sorry...it's gonna be ok." she whispered again, kissing him on the forehead. He painfully shook his head. "No, no it's not." He was in some serious pain, and Kirsten blurred in front of his face. "Ryan? Ryan can you hear me?"   
  
Kirsten had been a little loud and had interrupted the stare-down between Sandy and A.J. He suddenly turned to face her, and pointed the gun at the both of them. "Get the hell away from him!" Kirsten jumped at the voice, but instead of leaving Ryan, she clung to him, and said a soft "shhh..." in his ear when he whimpered quietly. "Get away from him now!" said A.J., getting closer to the two of them. Ryan stretched out to push Kirsten away. He knew full well what A.J. was capable of, and he would never risk Kirsten's life, or Seth and Sandy's for that matter, just so he could get a hug. A.J. shoved Kirsten out of the way before Ryan could do it politely, and picked Ryan up by grabbing his sides and pulling him up. Ryan felt his already pained ribs push into him, and he screamed in pain. Seth ran over to his mother to help her up, while A.J. once again turned to his gun for help.   
  
He held the gun to Ryan's temple. Sandy, who had been trying to stay calm, took the suitcase full of money and opened it. Inside was all the money that they could pack in it. "There. There it is. Just take it and give Ryan back, please." he pleaded with A.J., who now had Ryan in a choke hold, the gun still pressed against his head. He grabbed the suitcase and put it carefully in the back of the truck. He crept closer to the Cohens. He really wanted the kid to die. He hated him so much. He subconsciously pressed harder with his choke hold. He heard Ryan cough gruffly. It almost made him sad that his family had come through with the cash. I'll have a little fun with the Newport jackasses" he thought.  
  
"Please give him back." begged Sandy once again. "You know, I just thought of something." replied A.J., completely ignoring Sandy. "This kid knows my name..." Kirsten face sunk. She knew that knowing a criminal was dangerous, especially when he had a gun pointed to your head. "He knows my FULL name." added A.J. "And I'm worried that he'll tell the cops. Wouldn't you be?" There was no response. "I think that the minute I let him go, you're going to take him to the hospital." Sandy looked at him in a way that showed he was stating the obvious. "And don't get me wrong, even I would, if I were in your position. I mean this kid is pretty banged up. But then the cops will come, and they'll have a whole lot of questions that I think Ryan will feel safe to answer..." he said, choking Ryan once more. The boy raised his hands weakly up to A.J.'s arm to try to pry it away from his neck. He coughed a few more times and A.J. loosened his grasp.  
  
"What the fuck is your problem?" asked Seth suddenly, shocking both Kirsten and Sandy. "Excuse me?" asked A.J., as though just taking notice of the boy. "How can you stand there, threatening the life of a kid? Of a kid that hasn't even STARTED his life? He's SEVENTEEN! He's not even old enough to legally purchase beer! He has so much ahead of him, and you're willing to throw that all away, without a care in the world...over money?!" A.J. looked him angrily as Ryan stared at his brother. "Seth." hissed Sandy, looking back at his son. "Shut up. Now" But Seth continued. It was like he was being possessed and he couldn't stop talking, which seemed to happen a lot. "No, do you think it's fair that you can stand here and kick MY brother's ass just because you have a gun? And well, a few muscles, but mostly a gun?" Kirsten echoed her husband's hiss. Ryan suddenly spoke up. "Seth, I really don't want to die, so could you please, just shut up?" Kirsten answered Ryan's plea herself. "Ryan, you are not going to die." and Sandy responded to her reassurance with a less encouraging: "Unless Seth keeps on talking!" A.J. had finally had enough. He snapped. "Everybody shut the fuck up before I fire a warning shot into his pretty little head." Silence all around. Seth finally stopped talking, and Kirsten was deeply troubled by A.J.'s words.  
  
A.J. was glad that they had finally shut up. "You know, kid, you really helped me see the light." he said sarcastically. "I think I'll kill him, and all of you." he said, a smirk on his face. Ryan murmured out a quiet "no..." and put his hands back to A.J.'s arm, trying desperately to free himself. "No, don't hurt them!" he screamed, trying his hardest to stay awake, to keep fighting. Sandy unexpectedly stepped forward. "You will not hurt Ryan, or Seth, or Kirsten." he said conclusively. A.J. laughed. "No, here's the deal. You kill me, and they all go free." Ryan continued to struggle at his words as Kirsten let out a little gasp. "Sandy you can't do that!" she said, coming close to him. A.J. seemed to like the idea. "There's still the matter of Ryan knowing my name." he said. "I won't say anything, I swear. You don't have to hurt anybody!" yelled Ryan, tears forming in his eyes as white spots blotted out the Cohens. "Sure I do..." whispered A.J. in Ryan's ear. He held the gun up to Sandy's head. Ryan, with all the strength he had in him, grabbed a part of the gun and pushed it upwards. It fired into the air. A.J. let go of the choke hold he had on Ryan, and Ryan shoved Sandy to the floor. "Get down!" he yelled to the other two Cohens.   
  
Ryan, on one foot, managed to get a few more shots fired. He knew that A.J. only had one round, so he just needed to get rid of the bullets and then they could all take him. A shot fired into the ground, and suddenly A.J. kicked Ryan in the leg. He let out a very loud scream and crumpled to the ground. Kirsten couldn't help the tears running down her face as Sandy sat on the ground in shock. A.J. pointed the gun at Ryan and fired. The three Cohens jumped. Seth got up, staring heedfully at his best friend. "He has always had your back. He's helped you from the beginning, even when you didn't help him! Don't just let some loser kill him now and ruin your friendship forever..." he mumbled, trying to give himself courage. His mom and dad hadn't even realized he was standing. They were still transfixed on Ryan, who was grabbing his stomach in pain. Blood covered his hand.   
  
A.J. was getting ready to shoot him again, this time in the head. He had closed his eyes when he shot before, hoping he wouldn't have to shoot again. He closed his eyes once again, and heard the teenager groan in pain. He put his finger on the trigger.   
  
Seth had made up his mind. He threw himself savagely on A.J., and the gun went off. It hit the ground, and so did A.J. and Seth. "Ow!" said Seth, his arm twisted uncomfortably underneath him. A.J. shook himself off and grabbed his gun off the ground. Dawn had already started the truck, and he could have just run in. He stood there with the gun pointed at Seth. He fired. The gun clicked, and nothing came out. "Shit." he mumbled, and ran over to the car, jumping in. The car drove off, leaving three Cohens and a very wounded Ryan behind.  
  
How was that, huh? Ya like? I'm in the middle of writing the next chapter. Is Ryan going to live? What's wrong with Seth? Is Dawn killing herself with grief, or is she too drunk to care? 


	9. Don't you be sorry for a thing

Disclaimer: How do you like it so far? I'm trying my hardest to get it done, so once again, enjoy! I don't own the OC.  
  
"Open your eyes, Ryan...wake up..." he heard a distant voice say. The voice sounded a lot like Seth. He imagined Seth as a Jewish frog and abruptly flickered his eyes open. He instantly felt a sweep of pain rush through his body, and he let out a strangled groan. "Hey, cool!" said Seth. "Now do a somersault!" Ryan tried to smile, but instead grimaced. "Stay with us, alright sweetie?" he heard a much more serious voice than Seth's say. "We're not going to lose you..." He felt another wave of pain hit him from his head to his toes, and he gasped. Kirsten's worried face looked more concerned than before, if that was possible. "Seth, call an ambulance, now!" she yelled, and Seth jumpily complied. "Sandy, he's so pale!" whispered Kirsten, gently touching his cheek. He started to close his eyes again. Kirsten snapped her fingers at him. "No, no! You stay with us, alright? You hear that?" Ryan nodded.  
  
He was cold all over, and the pain kept coming. Sandy said something about pressure, and he suddenly felt more pain in his stomach radiating his whole body. He screamed. "I know it hurts, baby, but it's the only way! We gotta stop the blood loss, alright?" he nodded again. "I'm sorry..." he whispered, his voice barely audible. Kirsten had to lean in close to hear it. "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry about, you hear me? If anyone tells you to say sorry over what happened, I'll make sure they get what's coming to them, alright?" he let out a strangled "okay...", and smiled. Sandy, his face registering confusion and concern, spoke up. "Kirsten, I think there are some towels in the back of the car." Kirsten nodded and got up, her hand still gripping Ryan's. "No, no, please don't leave me..." he whimpered. Kirsten hesitated a little before letting go of his hand. I'll be right back, sweetie, don't worry..." His hand dropped beside him heavily. It felt like an anvil.  
  
"The ambulance is on it's way!" yelled Seth. Sandy looked at Ryan, a little happier. "You hear that Ryan? The ambulance is on it's way. You're going to be fine." Ryan shook his head. "No, it hurts...I don't want it to hurt anymore..." Kirsten came running back with a few towels. "Hope you don't mind, Seth." she said, smiling slightly as Sandy put the X-Men towel on Ryan's wound. He groaned and Kirsten took his hand again. "I don't want it to hurt anymore..." he repeated. Tears flowed down Kirsten's cheeks. "Don't cry...please don't cry..." he said, tears threatening to flow down his cheeks as well. "I'm sorry..." whimpered Kirsten, wiping her face off. "You...have nothing...to be sorry about...anyone says you do...and I'll make sure they get it..." he smiled. They heard sirens, and saw and ambulance speed near them. It screeched to a halt.   
  
"Here comes help, baby..." whispered Kirsten. The medics immediately took charge, and Sandy pulled Kirsten and Seth back. Kirsten finally cried freely. One of the medics kneeled down beside Ryan and took his pulse. "Hello, Ryan is it?" Ryan nodded. "I'm Jenny. We have to lift you up and put you on the gurney, alright?" Ryan shook his head. "No, it hurts..." he whined. "I know it hurts, but we need to do it. We'll be as careful as we can." Ryan reluctantly nodded. The medics looked at each other. "1, 2, 3." they gently lifted him, but he still groaned. The pain was too intense, and he blacked out, his arm falling limp beside him.  
  
They strapped an oxygen mask on him, and stuck an IV in the back of his hand. He was wheeled into the back of the ambulance. Kirsten broke free from Sandy's grip and ran over to the ambulance. "I need to come with him!" she shrieked. The medics looked at each other questioningly. "Alright, but you have to ride in the front seat." Kirsten knew there was only so much she could fight for, and jumped into the front seat. She looked back at Ryan, who was now connected to a heart monitor. It beeped steadily. The ambulance started and sped down the road.  
  
*  
  
Dawn had drunk a few more drinks from the car, and had taken a line of coke. It wasn't until she heard the gunshot that she started the car. She hoped her son was alright, but that thought was in the back of her head, now replaced with blurriness and a high. A.J. seated himself in the front seat and immediately got ready to drive. "We're going." he said. "I already know that!" slurred out Dawn. "Yeah, well we're going to Mexico." Dawn laughed. "Oh." A.J. smiled. All their troubles were over. They had 500 grand to spend on drugs, alcohol, and a good time. "Woo hoo!" said Dawn, no longer thinking about her son.  
  
*  
  
Kirsten kept looking back at Ryan. She prayed to God that he would be alright. It wasn't fair that after all that had happened to him that he would have to suffer through this. The heart monitor faltered as they hit a bump. It suddenly stopped, and instead of hearing the reassuring beep of Ryan's heart, all that was heard was a loud beep. The medics started grabbing equipment as they tried to get his pulse back. Another medic electro shocked him, but nothing seemed to be working. They did it again. Kirsten, who hadn't been breathing for the whole time the monitor wouldn't stop, gazed at Ryan's convulsing body. She sighed in relief when after the last shock, the heart rate went back to normal. The medics were also pleased with themselves, now that he was in the safe zone.  
  
What do you think? Sort of a short chapter, I know, but the next one will be longer, I promise! 


	10. He's a great father

Disclaimer: I don't own the OC. Wow. Thank you sooo much to everyone who reviewed. I never expected people to like my story, I just wanted to write it and see what people would think. Another thank you to everyone. I have plans for another story, but for now it's just this one. :)  
  
They wheeled Ryan out of the ambulance, and Kirsten followed, almost stumbling over her skirt. She had dressed pretty for Ryan's birthday. She had really wanted him to have a fantastic birthday party with his family. But someone had ruined that. For the first time since the past few hours, she thought of Dawn. She had completely forgotten about her. She was in the house when Ryan was kidnaped. What if they had taken her as well? But they couldn't find anyone to pay for her, so they killed her? And all this time she had thought Dawn was a bad person. Kirsten sat down in the nearest chair once she was inside, and burst into tears.   
  
Dr. Thompson came out to find Kirsten in the most uncomfortable chair they had in the room. She was crying, her head in her hands. Dr. Thompson cleared her throat to get her attention. Kirsten looked up. Her face was blotchy, and her mascara was running. Dr. Thompson gave her a tissue, and she gratefully wiped her face. "Thank you." she said quietly. "You're welcome. You are Mrs Cohen, I presume." Kirsten nodded. "Well, Ryan just got out of surgery, they extracted the bullet with no problems. If he has no stress or other problems, he'll be in ICU for a couple of days. If there are any problems, he could be in there for longer. After that he'll be placed in one of our bigger rooms. Would you like to know the extent of his-" Dr. Thompson was cut off hurriedly as Seth and Sandy suddenly ran in wildly looking from left to right. They saw Kirsten and ran towards her. Sandy embraced her and immediately turned his attention to the doctor. She cleared her throat and continued.  
  
"So, would you like to know the extent of his injuries?" They all nodded. Dr. Thompson turned her attention on Seth. His arm was unnaturally swollen and purple. "What happened to your arm?" she asked. Sandy and Kirsten turned to face him. He went red, and started mumbling, as he did when he was nervous. "I, I tried to help him, and I sort of, I suck at tackling, and I fell funny." Kirsten opened her mouth to let out an "oh..." of understanding. Sandy looked surprisingly proud of his son. HIS son had tried to help Ryan, and succeeded. Then he remembered that he could have been killed, and his paternal instinct kicked in. "What were you thinking, Seth? You could have been killed." Seth cringed at the words. "So could Ryan." Sandy stared at the ground. "We'll talk about this later. Where can Seth get his arm checked out?" Dr. Thompson pointed Seth in the direction of a room, and he walked away, waving at his mom with his good arm.  
  
"As I was saying, Ryan's injuries are very serious. He has a gunshot wound to the stomach, as you know, but he also has a broken leg, some broken and cracked ribs, a broken nose, and a very serious concussion, as well as a few cuts and bruises." Sandy and Kirsten were shocked. Sandy ran his hands through his hair. "Wow...that's..." he couldn't finish his sentence. But Dr. Thompson finished it for him. "I know it's a lot to take in, but I'd just like you to know that we really hope Ryan will be ok." Kirsten let out a small "Thank you" and asked where and when they could visit Ryan. "I think right now will be ok, as long as you don't stay too long. Don't worry, I'll tell Seth where you are." she added after seeing their eyes gazing down the hall to where Seth was.   
  
Kirsten was conflicted. She wanted to go see how Seth was, but she knew he's understand that right now, Ryan was more important. She hated how that sounded in her mind, that one of her sons was more important than the other, but she had to make sure Ryan was ok. She had to see it with her own eyes. "There's something else..." said Dr. Thompson, not meeting their gaze.  
  
She had almost forgotten to tell them the really bad news. "I told you that Ryan had a serious concussion...But what I didn't tell you was HOW serious it actually was." Kirsten gripped Sandy's outstretched hand so hard she hoped he wouldn't have a bruise later on. "The last time we checked, Ryan was unresponsive." Sandy closed his eyes, fighting tears. "He's in a coma." he said. "We're not calling it that yet. He might become responsive later on, but until we know for sure, he's not in a coma. He's just...unresponsive." Dr. Thompson corrected him. "I'll let you go see him now." she said, her voice barely above a whisper as she led the two Cohens to Ryan's room. She didn't know why, but she felt extremely sorry for Ryan. He seemed like such a sweet boy, and the fact that someone would beat him so badly and shoot him made her sick to her stomach. She opened the door to his room and the Cohens walked in.  
  
Kirsten instantly sat down beside him, trying to ignore the IV, the breathing mask, and even the breathing machine attached to her son. She didn't want to think what would happen if he didn't have the devices to help him. She took his unmoving hand in hers as Sandy sat down beside her. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Cohen-" said Dr. Thompson. "Kirsten" she corrected the doctor. "Kirsten, you need to check out your other son." Kirsten nodded. "Sandy, you'll take care of him, right?" she said worriedly. "You know it, honey." he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. She left the room. Sandy replaced her seat and took Ryan's weak hand.  
  
"Ryan. I know you can hear me." he said after a few minutes. "You know, there was always something about you that made you different from all those other kids I've worked with. You're so smart, kid. You have such a good chance of making something out of yourself. And, and no matter what anyone says, you are part of this family, and nothing is ever going to change that. So you better wake up and stay with us, you hear me?" There was no response. He sighed unhappily. Kirsten walked in and put a hand on his shoulder.   
  
"Look who's here." she whispered. Sandy looked back at Seth. His arm was in a sling, and he was grinning from ear to ear. "What are you so happy about?" asked Sandy, smiling. He couldn't help but smile. His son's happiness was contagious. "I have a war wound!" said Seth, still smiling. Sandy laughed. Seth sat down in a chair on the other side of the bed. "So how is he?" asked Kirsten, subconsciously moving the hair off of his face. "I tried talking to him, but no reply." he said sadly. Seth snorted, and made a weird movement with his lips. "That's 'cause you're boring, dad!" he said happily. Kirsten giggled. Sandy looked at her with mock anger. "What?" she asked. "He's funny!"  
  
It was about half an hour later that Seth had fallen asleep in the couch, his arm no longer a war wound but an annoying problem. Sandy and Kirsten were still looking at Ryan, as if willing him to wake up. The steady beep of the heart monitor and the short "whish" of the breathing machine had become background music. They no longer heard it. Kirsten looked at Sandy. His face was riddled with what looked like confusion, anger, and guilt. "It kills me to see him like this." He suddenly said, somewhat surprising Kirsten. "I think he looks peaceful." she replied. She was lying, of course, but she just wanted to make him feel better. It didn't work. "Don't give me that bullshit." he said. "You hate this just as much as me." She nodded. "That's right." she said.  
  
Sandy had had enough of watching his son, unconscious, or in a coma or whatever it was. "This is all my fault." he said. Kirsten scowled. "You know it isn't-" he cut her off. "IT IS!" Seth stirred in his sleep, but didn't wake up. "Seth, he's a real brother. Did you see what he did?" Kirsten nodded. "He risked his life to save Ryan's. What if there had been more bullets in that gun? He could've been killed! But he didn't care. He did it to help his brother. And what did I do? I sat there and watched him get shot. I didn't even try to stop him." Kirsten shook her head. "You seem to be forgetting the 'Kill me and they go free' request you pulled a few minutes before Ryan was...was shot." Sandy looked down, ashamed. "Yeah, and that helped." he whispered. "I'm a terrible father. I wouldn't be fit to parent a gerbil." He sighed. Kirsten didn't say anything. She knew nothing would change his mind at this point. She suddenly saw a weak hand move itself onto Sandy's. "You're the best father...anyone could have..." Sandy jumped at the feeble voice. He turned to see Ryan, his eyes half open, staring back at him.  
  
How was that? More soon, and tell me what you think! 


	11. Unwelcome visit

Disclaimer: I don't own the OC, thank you for the comments, more soon!  
  
Sandy sighed in happiness, this time. "Seth, wake up!" he said, shaking his other son. Ryan moved his head to the side to look at Seth. "Dude! You're awake! That is so cool!"said Seth, making Ryan smile. He reached up to the oxygen mask and tried to pull it off. Kirsten put a tender hand on his and shook her head. "No, sweetie, you can't take that off." He let go and quietly complied. "How are you feeling?" asked Sandy, once again choking back tears. "A little tired." said Ryan. "Well, that's understandable, Ryan. You've been through a lot." said Kirsten. "We were so worried." she said, quieter that time. "I know." said Ryan. "You guys are really quiet. You gotta be loud, like me!" said Seth, making them all smile. Ryan seemed to notice for the first time Seth's sling. He raised his hand up slowly to point to it. "What happened to your arm?" Seth's chest swelled with pride. "That, my friend, is a very good story." Sandy rolled his eyes. "One that I think Ryan doesn't need to hear right now. You should be getting some sleep." Ryan agreed, not wanting to fight with his dad. He smiled at the speculation. He had thought of Mr. Cohen as his dad. Maybe he should tell him. But before he could contemplate more on the idea, he fell asleep.  
  
"Now he looks peaceful." said Sandy, grinning at Kirsten. Dr. Thompson walked in to check on Ryan. "How is he doing? Has he responded in any way at all?" They were all grinning now. "I'm assuming that's a yes!" she said happily. They all nodded. She grabbed a doctor's flashlight to shine in his eyes, and gently pried his eyes open. "Ryan? This is Dr. Thompson. Can you hear me?" Ryan didn't like the light shining in his eyes. He groaned. "I hear ya" he whispered, trying to swat her hand away. She laughed. "Glad to see you're awake." he smiled. "Glad to be awake." She said something he didn't hear to the Cohens and got out of the room, taking Seth and Sandy with her.   
  
Ryan frowned. He started remembering everything that happened. The heart monitor sped up, and Kirsten got worried, squeezing his hand a little harder. "Did he hurt you?" he asked, his voice almost breaking. "No, sweetie, he didn't hurt me. He hurt you, though. That's why you're here." Ryan looked around. It had just dawned on him that he was in a hospital. "Where is he?" he asked, half expecting A.J. to jump out from behind the couch. He shivered. "He's gone, sweetie. He ran away." Ryan's breath came out in gasps, and he coughed. Kirsten touched his forehead. "Are you ok?" He shook his head. "Mom..." he whispered. Kirsten looked away guiltily. "We don't know where she is, sweetie. But we'll find her, don't worry. I'm sure she's ok." She met his stare. "I meant you..." said Ryan. Her eyes welled up with tears. Ryan was getting stronger by the minute. His voice was no longer a hoarse whisper, and he gripped Kirsten's hand with a bit of force. "I'm so glad you're ok, sweetie..." she said, smiling.  
  
The two Cohen men walked in with a police officer and Dr. Thompson, interrupting the heartfelt speech between Ryan and Kirsten. As the doctor told Ryan that he could have the oxygen mask removed, Seth started his ravings once again. "Bro, I am so glad you're awake, now I can actually get responses when I talk! Oh, dude, when you bust outta here, we need to go shopping for some more towels. My prized X-Men one is now, unfortunately, well, uh, ruined." Ryan's gaze switched from Seth to Kirsten, and he gave her a half smile. He tried to move, but his leg wouldn't allow him to. "What happened?" he asked, not fully remembering what had actually occurred. "Your leg is broken, among other things, buddy." said Sandy, ruffling his hair playfully.   
  
"Ryan, this is Officer Jenkins." Ryan's smile faltered. "Don't worry, Mr. Atwood, you're not in any trouble. I just needed to talk to you." said the officer, noting Ryan's change of attitude. "No, no she didn't mean it, I know she didn't." he whimpered. Kirsten was struck with sudden shock. Had he just said she? Ryan knew he had made a mistake the moment the words came out of his mouth. He didn't want to get his mother into trouble. He feigned unconsciousness, his eyes closing slowly. Sandy looked convinced, as did the officer, but Kirsten wasn't that easy to persuade. She stared at him suspiciously. Perhaps his mother had played a bigger role in the harming of her son than she had thought. Sandy put a heavy hand on her shoulder. He saw her purse in a compartment from one of the cabinets, but forgot to tell her about it. "I think we should let him rest. Let's go." Kirsten gave him a kiss on the forehead and whispered: "I know you're faking, honey." in his ear. He couldn't help but smile. She knew him too well.  
  
*  
  
Dawn was on the side of the road, smoking her last cigarette, thumb up. Halfway to Mexico, A.J. and her had had a fight, and he kicked her out of the truck, sans cash. All she had was the couple hundred she had taken when he wasn't looking. She was going back to Newport, HOAG more precisely. A cop had passed and didn't care she was there. That was good. They didn't stop to arrest her or anything. That meant her kid hadn't ratted her out. She finally hitched a ride. "Where you goin', sweet cakes?" asked the fat tub of lard beside her. "Newport." she said, avoiding his stare.   
  
*  
  
Dr. Thompson was talking to Seth, Sandy, and Kirsten about Ryan. "He should be released in a couple of days if all goes well. He's doing great, and after he's released he can start physiotherapy for his leg. I have some great suggestions." she said, writing down some names on a piece of paper. The Cohens said happy "Thank you's" and left to go home. "Why can't I stay here with Ryan?" asked Seth, giving Kirsten puppy eyes. "Nope! You haven't slept since Ryan was unconscious, and you look tired." Seth gave up, raising his hands up exateratedly. "Fine, but you both owe me big time!" They started driving, Seth in the back seat, babbling on about something or other.  
  
Dawn snuck into Ryan's room. His eyes were closed, and she thought for sure he was sleeping. She started rummaging around, thinking that there would be something in there she could pawn off or sell. "Kirsten, is that-" said Ryan, stopping short when he opened his eyes. "Mom? What the hell are you doing here? I thought you'd be in Mexico by now..." he said, reaching for the call button slowly, so as not to attract her attention. "Get away from that thing, you little prick." was her reply, and she slapped his hand away from the call button. It fell to the ground and broke. Ryan flinched. He couldn't move in the bed, so he was stuck there, his lunatic mother hovering over him.   
  
He opened his mouth to scream, or say something, anything, but she covered it quickly, so his scream came out stifled. "Listen you fuck, A.J. dumped me and I need a fix. So your little pals, they were here, I know they were. Did they leave anything?" she asked, her blue eyes evilly staring back at him. He couldn't speak, but he knew he said enough with a look, and narrowed his eyes at her. She ripped out the IV from the back of his hand, and heard another muffled cry. Ryan's eyes watered slightly, but he stayed strong. He didn't shake his head or nod. He just looked at his mother, eyes filled with hate. She smirked at him. "How's your stomach?" she asked. A.J. had started bragging halfway through the trip about how he shot Ryan in the stomach.   
  
Ryan's face suddenly filled with fear as his mother punched him as hard as she could in the stomach. Another muffled cry came from the teenager. He couldn't handle anymore pain. He slowly pointed his now bloodied hand in the direction of the cabinet that had Kirsten's purse in it. Not moving her hand from his mouth, she reached for the cabinet and took the purse. "Good boy." she said, ruffling his hair, but it lacked the affection that Sandy's had. He writhed and struggled, trying to get out of her grasp, but she had picked the perfect time to take advantage of her son. He was at his weakest. She grabbed him and hit his head against the wall. That was all it took to knock him unconscious.   
  
"Sandy, stop the car." said Kirsten suddenly. He pulled over, looking at her with a very confused look on his face. "I forgot my purse at the hospital." Sandy hit his head. "I knew I had seen it somewhere!" he said, turning the car in a U-Turn. They sped to the hospital, and arrived in no time. Kirsten jumped out of the car and ran into the hospital. She had already memorized Ryan's room number, so she headed straight for it, greeting nurses and doctors as she went. She heard something topple and fall, and a woman scream. "Get the fuck away from me! I'm fine! Christ, everyone acts like they care around here!" Kirsten recognized the voice, as well as the blonde, curly, and very product-covered hair immediately. "Dawn?" she asked, only a bit happy. "Fuck." was Dawn's reply. Kirsten was a little taken aback. "Hey, that looks like...my purse..." she ended quietly. "Yeah, well, maybe I got some money and bought one, now get outta my way!" she said, pushing Kirsten aside.  
  
Kirsten felt nauseous. She felt a sudden urge to check on Ryan. She didn't know why, but she did. She saw someone call the police, since Dawn was causing another scene. She ran even faster than before until she arrived at Ryan's room. She covered her mouth to stop a scream. "Somebody help!!" she yelled, running to Ryan's side. His hospital gown had blood over the stomach area, and he was unconscious. "Sweetie? Ryan, it's Kirsten, can you hear me? Please answer me..." Ryan opened his eyes. "She took your purse...I didn't know where...she was...I'm sorry" she "shh'd" him, as though he were a small boy, and took his hand.  
  
"SOMEBODY HELP HIM!" she screamed, louder than before. Ryan cringed at the loudness of her words. She took his face in her hands and made him look at her. "Who did this to you?" she asked, her voice flat. Ryan decided it was time for his mother to face the consequences of her actions, instead of him facing them for her. "Dawn..." he whispered. Kirsten embraced him, and the hug felt like it lasted forever, before she was pulled away from him by one of the nurses. Within seconds, she was pushed out of the room and the blinds were closed. She fell to her knees, crying like she had never cried before. 


	12. Kirsten does a smackdown

Disclaimer: I don't own the OC, characters, etc. Thank you for the reviews! I decided to follow the request of bop1997, and give Dawn what she deserves. *grrr*. Enjoy!   
  
A nurse helped Kirsten into a chair. "Are you alright, ma'am?" she asked. Kirsten nodded, sniffling. She heard a noise outside. "Ma'am, what are you doing?!" she heard someone say outside. She was no longer paying attention to the nurse, who was trying to get her to calm down. She got up and ran down the stairs. Her shoes clacked down the stairs as she shoved the door open. She saw Dawn running down the street as she passed the tired doctor who had stopped chasing Dawn a while ago. She got a sudden adrenaline rush and caught up with the woman. "Dawn! Wait!" she screamed. Dawn turned around, gave a smirk, and kept running. Her bad luck had caught up with her from her little trip to Mexico, and she ran into a telephone pole. Kirsten was worried for a moment, but then her overbearing hate for the woman seeped through. She leaned over her, conflicted. She decided to give her a small chance. "Dawn? Are you okay?" Dawn suddenly opened her eyes, startling Kirsten. She grabbed her ankle and pulled her down with her. Kirsten gave a little shriek as she hit the ground.   
  
Dawn was a vicious attacker, especially when her victim was smaller than her. She wrapped her hands around Kirsten's neck, trying to strangle her. Kirsten wasn't going to be beaten easily, though, and she put her hands around Dawn's neck as well. Kirsten was a fierce fighter, and she kicked Dawn in the leg. Her pointy heels did more damage than she had intended, but Dawn hissed and kept on squeezing Kirsten's neck harder. By the time she had started seeing fuzzy dots, she had stopped fighting back.   
  
Sandy saw Kirsten running towards something, but he didn't know what. He had gotten out of the car with Seth, and had chattily walked to where they thought they had seen her going. Sandy put his hand out to stop Seth when he saw a blonde woman strangling his wife. This time, he knew he could help. He ran over to her and pulled her away from Kirsten. The woman viciously kicked him in the shin. At the moment, there was too much at stake, and he tried to keep her still without hurting her too much. She scratched and kicked him until she had tired herself out. Seth was on his way to Kirsten, who stood up coughing. She looked at Dawn, who was pinned to the ground by Sandy. She was still kicking and screaming, and Sandy flinched as she kicked him hard in the leg. Seth hugged his mother, who was still coughing, and looked over at his father. "Seth, go get some help..." said Kirsten between coughs. Seth ran off energetically.  
  
He returned with a few guards and a doctor or two, and ran over to his mother again. Dawn had kept on kicking and struggling, stopping every once and a while until she saw Kirsten again, and then she'd be as angry as ever. Sandy was gripping her shoulders down as hard as could, and he didn't even let go when the guards came. They had to pull him off by force, his hands shaking. He stumbled over to Kirsten to embrace her, and they both fell. They both kissed, and would have continued, if Seth hadn't fake gagged and said: "Ugh, gross, I think I'm gonna puke." Sandy turned to face his son, smiling. Seth's smile disappeared. His father's face had bruises appearing on it, and there was blood on his forehead.  
  
"Sir, are you alright?" asked one of the doctors, seeing Seth's stricken expression at his father's face. "Oh, I'm fine! You should check on my wife though, she looks pretty haggard." Kirsten smiled and whacked him across the chest. He tried not to grimace as she hit him, but he didn't hide it well. She looked at him, concerned. "Sweetie, maybe you should get checked out." she whispered. He nodded. "Ok. If that's what you want." He smiled.  
  
A few hours later, Kirsten sat next to Ryan. He was strapped to the bed. That was, apparently, because he had tried to escape, and he was being unruly, shaking uncontrollably and hitting nurses and doctors and nurses alike. Kirsten touched his head gently, and he stirred. His eyes suddenly opened wide, and he tried to sit up. Kirsten "shh'd" him again, and laid a hand on his forehead. He shook it away. He was struggling against the straps that held him down. "What happened? Wh-where am I?" he asked, confused. He didn't seem to recognize the room he was in. "Please don't hurt her, I'll tell you whatever you want...don't hurt them..." he whimpered, his blue eyes clouded with pain. "It's ok, Ryan. It's me. It's Kirsten." she said, trying her best to smile for Ryan. "Kir-sten?" he asked, as if he didn't know her name. "Yeah, sweetie. I'm Kirsten. Your mom, she's not here. She was arrested. You're still at the hospital." Ryan was visibly calmer, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "Why...why can't I move?" he asked, remembering the familiar sensation of bound hands.   
  
"You weren't being very cooperative with the nurses, hon, so they had to strap you down. It's for your own good." Ryan struggled more at these words. His mother always said that when she hit him. "I won't do anything wrong, I promise, please, I'm sorry..." his voice cracked, and Kirsten touched his cheek. She was treating him like a toddler, but she didn't care. She pressed the call button, and Ryan shrank into the corner of the bed as far as he could, which wasn't very far. After Kirsten finished asking for someone to come help her with Ryan, she looked at him. He seemed so scared, shivering as she stroked his hair. "What is it?" she asked, seeing his frightened expression. "She'll be angry..." whimpered Ryan, his voice faltering. "She can't do anything to you anymore, Ryan. Don't worry. I'm here now." Ryan smiled a little. "What really happened with Seth's arm?" he asked. Kirsten smiled. "He attacked the man who shot you." Ryan tried not to look surprised at the fact that Seth had risked his life for him. "And...there were no more bullets left, thank god." She smiled.  
  
The nurse walked in. She had a small bruise on her cheek. "I'm sorry." he whispered to her as she leaned in to remove the straps. "For what, Mr. Atwood?" she asked, feigning surprise. "If I hurt you. I'm sorry." he said, a half smile on his face. "You're very much forgiven." she said, smiling back at him.  
  
Seth walked in. "Woah. Sorry, dude. Didn't know you were getting your mack on." The nurse looked bemused as she walked out of the room. Ryan rubbed his wrists. "Are you okay now, sweetie?" asked Kirsten. "I'm okay." lied Ryan. His hand hurt, a lot, and his stomach...well his stomach was too painful for words. Seth squinted his eyes at Ryan. "Man, you are so lying. Look! Right now! You're grimacing!" Ryan shook his head. "I'm grimacing because you're annoying me." he said quietly. Seth laughed. "How are you?" asked Ryan suddenly. Seth raised his eyebrows and squinted his eyes. "How are YOU?" Ryan shrugged. "I asked first." Seth sighed. "My war wound has become a very bothersome burden." Ryan laughed, but stopped when it hurt too much. He coughed. "Now how are you, really?" Ryan shrugged again. He gave Seth the look. "You know, dude, that doesn't work when your eyes are swollen and purple." Ryan smiled. Kirsten, in her chair, listened to the conversation.   
  
"Who do you think would be a better super-hero? You, or me? I think you." Ryan shook his head, regretting it immediately as he suddenly saw four of Seth. "I think you." Seth made strange gestures with his hands. "Dude, you know it's you." This time, Ryan moved his head only slightly from side to side. "You threw yourself at a man with a gun to save me." Seth shook his head like a wet dog. "You saved my dad!" Ryan smiled. "And, mom almost got killed by Dawn and dad has an imprint of a heel from her shoe!" he covered his mouth at once. He hadn't meant to say that. Ryan switched his gaze from Seth to Kirsten. He gulped. "Is that-is that true?" Kirsten looked down. She turned to see Seth, who was hitting himself in the head. "DON'T tell him about his mom. DON'T tell him" he mumbled, seeming to have forgotten. "The one thing I told you not to say, and you say it." said Kirsten.   
  
Ryan had just noticed the red marks on Kirsten's neck. He pointed at them. "Did she do that?" he asked. Kirsten nodded. Ryan lost his breath. He started coughing. Seth carefully walked closer to him. "You okay, man?" Ryan nodded in between coughs. His lungs and ribs seared in pain when he coughed, but he couldn't help it. He finally got control over his coughing, and was worried about Kirsten and Sandy. "Sandy? How's Sandy?" Kirsten smiled as her husband walked through the door. "I hear he looks very handsome." he said, as Seth rolled his eyes. He had small bandages on his forehead, and he had bruises blossoming on his face. "She did that to you?" asked Ryan, looking over disbelievingly at his adoptive father. "Well, yes...Seth, Kirsten, can you leave for a few?" Seth shrugged, mumbling to himself as he left the room. Kirsten just smiled and playfully wacked him on the head as she left.   
  
"Well, Ryan. After a lot of bribing and some negotiating, I've gotten the hospital to release you in about three days. You'll have to do physiotherapy for that leg of yours and you'll have to answer a few questions from the police, when you're up to it." Ryan sighed. He hated hospitals. "Ok. I'm up to that." he held back a cough. "Now Ryan, this is between us two. You can tell me anything right now, and I promise I won't tell anyone." Ryan looked away. "What do you mean?" Sandy sat down. "I mean I think you should tell me what happened. I've been wracking my mind trying to figure it out, and I can't. You wanna help me out?" Ryan shook his head and shivered. Sandy shrugged and got up to leave. "Remember, kiddo. You can trust me." He opened the door to leave. "Wait." said Ryan. "I wanna tell you." 


	13. The nightmares begin

Disclaimer: I don't own the OC, characters, or all the money they make. Thanks for the reviews everyone, and this fic is ALMOST over, not quite though.  
  
"A.J. Thomas." said Ryan quietly, almost to himself. "A.J..." replied Sandy, as if he were trying to match him up with someone. "A.J., as in the A.J. you and your mother-" he was cut off by Ryan. "Dawn." Sandy nodded grimly. "The A.J. you and Dawn were talking about the last time she came? You trust me with this information? But this is huge!" Ryan nodded and smiled. "I trust you. A.J., he's her boyfriend. Or ex-boyfriend. I just don't know anymore." He sighed before continuing. "Dawn wanted to case the house, so she brought A.J. to do the, er, dirty work. I don't think they knew I was going to be there, though. Dawn thought I was going to rent the movies. I guess they just thought by the time we were back they'd be done." Sandy listened intently, trying not to miss a word. He couldn't help but his hands into fists whenever Ryan retold his being thrown through the glass doors, or talked about A.J. throwing him against the wall. It was like he couldn't imagine why someone would do something like that. He put a hand on Ryan's shoulder. "Now you know you're going to have to tell the police what you told me eventually." Ryan nodded. "But thank you for telling me." He nodded again. "You're welcome." Sandy ruffled his hair, as he always did, and walked out.  
  
Sandy came out of Ryan's room with red eyes. He was emotionally drained, and Kirsten gave him a hug. "If I ever get my hands on that bastard, I'm going to-" Kirsten cut him off with a kiss. "Did he give you a name?" asked Kirsten carefully. Sandy smiled. "Yup." Kirsten clapped her hands happily. Seth burst into the conversation. "What, what? What happened?" Seth and Kirsten gave him a simultaneous glare. "You guys are worse than Ryan." he mumbled. Kirsten softened her look. "Seth, you don't understand. Ryan was in a very delicate mental state after his mother attacked him. Anything you said could have triggered some sort of breakdown." she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry" grumbled Seth guiltily.   
  
A few days later, Ryan was on his way out of the hospital. Kirsten wheeled him out. "Do I have to be in a wheel-chair?" he said, blushing as a group of girls giggled and looked at him. "Yes, Ryan, yes you do. Unless you wanna walk a few steps and collapse." said Sandy. Ryan shrugged. They managed to get him in the car. Sandy leaned over the front seat, holding a container. He shook it in front of Ryan's face. It rattled. "These are for the pain, okay?" Ryan nodded. "Take, uh, two every 6 hours, don't take more than the recommended amount, you know the deal." Ryan looked at pills skeptically before taking them. He read all the instructions carefully. It took him more than it normally would have, since his concussion still blurred his vision and made him slower than usual.  
  
"Home, sweet, home." mumbled Ryan, and Kirsten smiled. Seth ooched over to the phone. He pressed the button to check messages. "You have 37 messages" said the voice mechanically. Seth made a mock-shock face. "Message 1- 'Hey, it's Marissa. I was wondering if you knew where Ryan was. He didn't come to school today.'" Seth erased the message just as his parents walked in. "You didn't call Marissa?" Seth tried to defend himself. "I was a little preoccupied!" He waved his hands in the air. He had had the cast removed the day before, but it was still healing. "Message 26- 'It's me. Again. What the hell happened? It's been like, five days, and I'm really getting worried. Please, please, PLEASE call me back.'" They listened to all the messages while Ryan slept, and Seth called Marissa personally so he received her anger headfirst. "Why? Why didn't you tell me? You could've at least called! You haven't told anyone? Well that makes me feel better." Ryan looked at him from the door of his new room in the main house. Poor Seth. He really was a good friend.  
  
"Here's a cup of water to take your medication with, buddy." said Sandy, smiling. Ryan smiled back. He took the container of pills and carefully shook two out. He swallowed them with the water. "You should go to bed. You look like hell." said Sandy, a slight smile on his face. Ryan looked up, his eyes half closed, and a smile on his face. "Thanks." he still had bruises all over his face, and his nose was swollen. He wheeled himself around and rolled into his new bedroom. They were still trying to repair the windows in the pool house, so he couldn't stay there, and even if he could, he wouldn't. It would scare him too much, and he hated being scared.  
  
He lay down and closed his eyes. He was soon asleep. He started to be troubled by his dreams. A.J. and Dawn were with Seth in another room. He was tied to a chair. Ryan watched through the one way window. He screamed for them to leave him alone, kill him instead, but they couldn't hear him. Seth whimpered in the chair, but looked straight ahead, as if knowing Ryan was there. Then A.J. shot him in the head.   
  
Ryan stirred in his sleep. "No, leave him alone, don't hurt him..." he mumbled in his sleep. His dream had suddenly changed. A.J. was hitting his Kirsten. She was crying, her cheeks red with tears and the slaps he had dealt her. Ryan went to pull him away, and he pushed him into Trey's arms. Suddenly, he was 8 again, and Trey was holding him back because his father was beating his mother and he didn't want Ryan to get involved. But instead of Dawn, it was Kirsten. Ryan struggled against Trey's grip, but he couldn't break free. He just watched Kirsten get battered, tears running down his face.   
  
He woke up sweating. He shook his head slightly, but he still got dizzy. He grabbed his head, the pain pulsing through his temples. So apparently the pills didn't work. He knew it had been a bad idea to take the damn things. They always gave him nightmares. He grabbed the container. He didn't want to throw them in the garbage, they might think he overdosed. Instead, he left them there. He felt nauseated. He got in the wheelchair and went over to the bathroom. He purged his system and collapsed on the ground. He slept soundly for a short while before sitting back down in the wheelchair and lay down in bed again. He hoped tomorrow would be a better day.  
  
He woke up and narrowed his eyes as the sun hit his face. He hadn't seen the sun in a while. Even though it was June, the sun had barely been seen. He groggily sat in his wheelchair and rolled into the kitchen. "Hello sunshine!" said Kirsten happily, putting some food on a plate and handing it to him. He looked at her. He suddenly remembered his dream and grimaced. "You okay?" asked Kirsten, her smile fading. She always asked that. "Are you okay? Are you alright? How do you feel? You feel better? Do you need anything?" He thought about all the things she asked him. His mother never asked him how he was, how he felt, or if he was even hungry. She figured Trey would take care of him or he could take care of himself. Ryan coughed to hide the emotions he felt. "I'm okay." he said with a genuine smile.  
  
Kirsten took in a breath. She was relieved. Seth walked down the stairs rubbing his eyes. He patted Ryan on the back. It normally wouldn't hurt him, even after the injuries, but today it hurt. He grimaced. Kirsten was by his side in an instant. "Seth, don't be so rough." she hissed, running into Ryan's room and getting the pills. Here sweetie." she said, handing him two pills and a glass of water. Ryan pushed them away. "I'm okay. Really. Just tired." Kirsten still looked concerned, raising an eyebrow and squinting her eyes. "Ok. Just have breakfast and then you can sleep for a while. At around noon you have physiotherapy though, so I'll wake you up." Ryan smiled as he ate his cereal. Seth's meal looked much better, but he knew he couldn't eat that because of his stomach. He could barely eat the little amount of food Kirsten had for him.  
  
He sat on the couch watching tv. Someone knocked at the door. Kirsten smiled at him. "I'll get that!" she said. "Marissa! HI!" she said loudly so Ryan could hear. Marissa seemed worried. "Is Ryan, is he ok?" Kirsten nodded. "As ok as can be expected...considering." Marissa looked confused. "Considering what? Seth didn't tell me what happened." Kirsten made a face. She really didn't want to tell Marissa what happened. She didn't know why, but she didn't. "Why don't you come on in." she said and let Marissa through. She took off her shoes and ran into the living room. Ryan looked up at her and smiled. "Marissa! Hey!" Marissa was shocked. Ryan's smile turned forced. "Do I look that bad?" Marissa knelt down next to him. "No, Ryan. You look great." She kissed him. Ryan kissed back, seeming to have forgotten how nice it was to kiss with her.  
  
She tried to hug him, and he grimaced. He let out a small groan that he couldn't keep in and she pulled away. "Sorry..." she whispered, touching his chest. The hug was small, but Ryan could still feel the pain of his ribs digging into him. Her hand moved down his chest and onto his stomach where Ryan finally pushed it away. He frowned and pulled up his shirt to reveal the bandages covering his stomach. She gasped. "What happened?!" He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. "I got shot." he sighed out, his voice barely above a whisper. She held back tears as she breathed out to calm herself. She pointed to his leg. "And this?" Ryan shrugged. "Broken leg." She cried. "I'm okay, Marissa, I really am. Don't worry." They fell asleep together, Marissa's head in his lap. He woke up and she was gone. The house was still in ruins, but he couldn't figure out if it had just happened or if it was still from the previous break-in.  
  
"Kirsten?" he asked, worry in his voice. "Kirsten?!" a little louder that time. He started hyperventilating. His worst nightmare might be coming true and he couldn't do anything to stop it. "KIRSTEN!" he screamed. He tried to get out of the sofa he was in. He stumbled into the wheelchair and went forward a bit. Marissa's shoe was on the ground, and the wheelchair went over it. He fell forward and hit the ground. He felt the full pain of the impact, and his head spun. He saw double of everything, and he suddenly felt nauseous. He reached out to crawl, but the pain and the cast won't let him. Instead, his arms buckle and he falls back to the ground. He closes his eyes, defeated again.  
  
Kirsten and Marissa were outside, taking in the sun. Marissa had woken up and decided to leave Ryan to rest. She took off her shoes and walked outside, where Kirsten was grilling up some food. "Hello Marissa! How's Ryan?" Marissa smiled. "He's fine. I just wanted to let him sleep." Kirsten nodded, smiling. Through the grilling, she heard her name. "What did you say, hon?" Marissa looked up from her book. "I didn't say anything Mrs. Cohen." Kirsten leaned in closer to the house. She heard her name. She heard it again. "KIRSTEN?!" that time she sure as hell knew it wasn't her imagination. She turned off the grill and gave her flipper to Marissa. She took off her oven mitts and ran inside, fighting the nagging feeling in her stomach that something was wrong. She came to an abrupt stop when she saw Ryan on the ground. She tripped over to him, taking his head in her hands. "Ryan? Sweetie, wake up." Ryan opened his eyes slowly. He looked at Kirsten, who's blonde hair was over his face. "You're ok...I thought, I thought something happened..." Kirsten shook her head. "Nope. I'm fine, Marissa's fine, and you obviously are not." Ryan sat up quicker than he had anticipated he would, and got a headache. He grabbed his head, scrunching his eyes.  
  
Kirsten gave him two pills and wheeled him off to bed, despite his pleading for her not to. She turned off the light and gave him a kiss on the forehead. She left and closed the door. Ryan closed his eyes, defeated by his nightmares.  
  
How was that? More in about a week, I'm going to Vancouver for spring break. Thanks for the reviews, guys! 


	14. Those damn pills make me see people!

Ok, this is the third to last chapter. Enjoy please, and I own nothing but the story. I own no characters! Enjoy, and I just realized I already said that. Ahem.   
  
He woke up in the middle of the night, sweat on his face. He put a hand to his mouth to stifle a scream. The last thing he wanted was Kirsten awake so she could dispense some more "helpful" medicine. He got into the wheelchair and went over to the bathroom. He purified his system once again, feeling surprisingly better when he was done. He got a drink of water before getting back into the wheelchair. He lay in bed. Kirsten walked in a little later to check up on him. She thought he looked a little pale, and his deep sleep worried her. She thought about waking him, but then thought about how embarrassed Ryan would be. He had been fine with her babying him for the first couple of days of his recovery, but she figured it was mostly because he knew he needed her help. Now, he pushed her away slightly when she tried to help him up, trying as hard as he could not to hurt her feelings.   
  
She felt guilty for leaving him alone. She slapped her head with her hand quietly, thinking of how un-motherly she had been, leaving him alone so soon after his recovery had started. She wiped a solitary tear away from her face and knelt down beside him. She kissed him on the forehead and took his hand in hers. It felt so cold, as though he were some strange reptile and not a human being. "Lord..." she prayed silently. "Please help Ryan get better..." she was in tears by the end of the prayer, Ryan's hand entwined in hers. She felt strangely comforted by his sleeping figure. He was so different from Seth. Seth was loud, funny, obnoxious sometimes, but funny. He was an incredibly deep sleeper, so she never worried about him. But Ryan, he'd wake up at the drop of a hat, as though he was expecting someone to attack him, or hurt him in some way. Any noise that was made would send him jumping into the air, his eyes wide with terror.   
  
As she thought about her completely different sons, she saw Ryan move slightly. She moved closer to him, making sure she was in his eyesight when he opened his eyes. She moved his head towards her with her free hand. He started coughing violently, causing Kirsten to jump . "Sweetie?" she asked, and her voice cracked from the tears that she'd shed moments before. Ryan's breathing steadied, and he looked from left to right, his eyes suddenly focusing on Kirsten. "What's wrong?" he asked hoarsely. Kirsten shook her head. "Nothing, sweetie, I just came to check on you, and you started coughing. I was really worried." Ryan half smiled, his usual signal to show that even though he wasn't ok, he would make damn sure they thought he was. "Maybe...maybe you should take two more pills." said Kirsten, trying to get him to say yes. He had something against the pills, but she thought he was just being stubborn.  
  
"No, no." his eyes watered slightly. "Please, Mrs. Cohen...please don't make me take the pills." Kirsten tried to smile. "Now you're back to 'Mrs. Kirsten'? So 'mom' was only while you were delusional and seeing four of me?" Ryan attempted another half smile, but thought better of it and gave her a real smile. "Sorry, I just...Please don't make me take those things." he pleaded, pointing to the desk with the container. "If you really don't want to, you don't have to, but..." she smiled. "If you're not gonna call me 'mom', then at least go for 'Kirsten'." Ryan blinked slowly, trying to distinguish the real world from his horrible dreams. "I'll let you sleep, ok?" he nodded even slower than he blinked, terrified that he'd go through another wave of pain. "Sorry for bothering you sweetie." she said as she opened the door. She didn't get a response from Ryan, who was so exhausted he passed out again.   
  
He wheeled into the kitchen, the smell of bacon overpowering the house. "Ah, my friend. As you can see, I've taken over your position as official bacon maitre of the household. You know how much mom likes bacon, don't you? Course ya do, buddy, huh, huh?" Seth's banter confused him, and he moved his head slowly from side to side, closing his eyes in an attempt to portray pity. Seth laughed as Kirsten entered the room, proclaiming: "Seth, I didn't know you knew how to make bacon!" Seth tilted his head and nodded, pointing at Ryan. "I learn from the master, mother." Ryan tried not to laugh as Seth clumsily made the bacon, dropping some to the ground, recoiling as some grease some got on his arm, and squealing when he got some in his eye.  
  
Kirsten kissed Seth on the cheek as he was leaving. He wiped his face off. "Ew, I think I got like, mom germs or something from that." Kirsten messed up his hair and he stumbled away. She closed the door, sighing. "Ryan?" she asked, leaning her head over the wall to see Ryan. He looked up at her, smiling. "You don't need to use the wheelchair, as of today." She pulled out a pair of crutches with a blue ribbon on it. Ryan breathed in as deeply as his bound ribs would allow him, smiling a genuine and truly happy smile in Kirsten's direction. He didn't care about the intense pain that followed his quick movements. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he said, his voice still hoarse. He reached out to grab the crutches, but Kirsten pulled them from his grasp. "Wait." she said, to his obvious dismay. "Promise me that you won't get ahead of yourself and try to run around, or something." He nodded gravely, reaching for the crutches once again. She skeptically handed them to him, and he mouthed another "Thank you." He tried to pull himself up, but failed and sat back down.   
  
Kirsten was rubbing her hands together, trying to restrain herself from helping him. She knew he should do this on his own, but she couldn't help the feeling that he was silently asking for her help. She inched closer to him, making sure he didn't notice she was going to give into her motherly instinct and help him. She got close enough to say a quick: "Let me help you, sweetie." and try to help him up. He gave her a sideways glance. "I don't need help, Kirsten." He made very sure to call her Kirsten. "You do. And you need to start asking for it.". He blushed before steadying himself on Kirsten's arm. "Thanks..." he muttered, the half smile once again plastered on his face. "No problem." She smiled. "Ok, so you start your new physio today, and you have a new physiotherapist. Ms. Fields." Ryan nodded. "Take it easy, don't do too much at once, and please take the pain medications. Please?" She gave him puppy dog eyes, and he looked away. "It doesn't hurt." he whispered. She snorted. "Sure, that's why you flinch every time anyone even taps you. You're in pain, and you need those.". She pointed to the container of pills.  
  
"I don't need those, ok?" he said, louder than before. It came out a little angrier than he had intended, and he flinched, expecting the worst. "I'm so-sorry. I don't like meds. I really, I can't deal with them. What if I get addicted?". Kirsten furrowed her eyebrows. She hadn't thought about that. "Just take them, ok? This isn't a conversation anymore. I'm telling you that you're taking them, so you are, understood?". He looked at her, sighed, and nodded. "Fine.". She walked over to where the pills were, shook two out and handed them to him, along with a cup of water. She watches him pretend to take them, palming them instead. "There." said Kirsten, proud of herself. She put a hand on Ryan's shoulder. "Don't worry, Ryan. I won't let anything happen to you.". She sent him off to sit down. He offered that he should probably sleep for a while, and she agreed.   
  
He crutched his way over to his room and shut the door. He thought about flushing the pills down the toilet. But wouldn't they get suspicious if he only went to the bathroom every 6 hours? He wasn't thinking straight. The pain that surged through his body prevented him from thinking straight. He grabbed a pot with some sort of plant in it and dug a small hole. He put the two pills in it. He carefully sat down on the bed. He hated lying to the Cohens, but if he told them, he'd end up back in the hospital. He couldn't end up in the hospital again.   
  
*** 9 years ago ***  
  
"I don't know why you don't want to take the fucking pills, Ry. They're free, they get you high, what's the problem?" Ryan's hands shook. "I don't like them." he whispered. "Well fuck you, kid. Take the pills or I take them." said Bill. "Take 'em then!" said Ryan, regretting his tone immediately. "Little punk..." mumbled Bill, punching him in the face. "Bill, come on. He just got out of the hospital thanks to his little 'fall' down the stairs." Ryan shivered as he remembered. Bill grabbed the container of pills from Dawn and got all he could out of them. He forced Ryan's mouth open and pushed the pills in. He gave him the bottle of gin he had to swallow them. "How do you like 'em now, huh kid?" Ryan's pupils dilated almost immediately. He passed out on the couch, his body convulsing fiercely from time to time. Hallucinations clouded his dreams. Dreams of death, murder, abuse...his life.  
  
Trey slammed the door. "Keep it quiet!" yelled Bill from his couch. He dropped his backpack on the ground, stopping when he saw Ryan on the floor. "What is he doing there?" he asked, giving Bill a sideways glance. "He fell.". Trey gave a sneer. "Yeah. The same way he 'fell' down the stairs?". Bill glared at him. "Shut up or you'll end up falling too.". Trey shrugged and turned his attention to Ryan. He tried to pick him up, but he couldn't. The boy was shaking violently in his sleep, every once in a while whimpering or letting out a small scream. Trey opened his eyes to see if he was aware of them. "What did you do to him?" he asked, his voice filled with anger. He heard Bill laugh. "He didn't want to take his pills so I made him take them.". Trey ran over to him. "You made him overdose? What the fuck is wrong with you?". Bill pushed him aside. From the ground, he pleaded with Bill. "Please take him to the hospital."  
  
Bill finally agreed, and they went to go find Dawn, who was also passed out, but for completely different reasons. He poked her. "Come on. We gotta take your damn kid to the hospital. "Which one?" mumbled Dawn. "The little punk. Come on.". Dawn yawned and stretched, giving herself a headache. "What's wrong with him?" she asked. "Bill made him overdose." said Trey, his voice dripping with hatred. Dawn snorted. "I already knew that. How bad can it be for him?". Trey shook his head in disgust and walked out. "Bill? Help me pick him up!" said Trey from the living room. No one came, so he had to pick the boy up by himself. He put him over his shoulder, and screamed at the two parents in the bedroom. "Come on! Let's go!"  
  
Dawn pouted and got up. Bill walked past Trey, not even stopping to help him. He got his keys and started the car. "Put the kid in." he said flatly, not having forgotten the container of pills, which he took with him. They drove at a leisurely pace, and it was clear Bill was just doing it to bother Trey. "Ryan?" he asked in the back seat, lightly slapping Ryan across the face. He didn't move. Trey slapped him again, harder. He moved a bit, but stopped a few moments later. "Ryan, please wake up." said Trey, willing him to be ok. Ryan started shaking uncontrollably as they pulled into the hospital. Trey crawled out and ran as fast as he could into the hospital. "My brother...he needs...help..." he gasped out, panting. "Ok, son. Where is he?" asked the doctor calmly. Trey wondered how she could be so calm.   
  
Dawn got out of the car, looking very worried, but Trey glared at her. It was all an act. "I got home and he had taken almost all the pain medication pills you gave us before. I was so scared he was dead." she whimpered. Trey snorted. The doctor and his helpers got Ryan onto the gurney without any problems. "He's gonna need his stomach pumped." said the doctor, his voice "matter-of-factly". They carted him into the hospital. Dawn tried to follow, but a nurse stopped her. "I'm sorry ma'am, but you, your son, and your husband will have to stay here.". Bill, who hadn't been paying attention, caught that last part. "Hey, I ain't her husband, alright?". The nurse nodded uncomfortably. "Sorry.". Bill shrugged. "We'll keep you informed about his health." she said quietly, with a small smile. Dawn smiled back, dismissing the nurse.  
  
Bill left after an hour, saying he didn't waste his life with some piece of shit girlfriend who's kid was in the hospital half the time. He had left them, leaving Dawn to conclude: "Guess we're taking the bus home.". The doctor came out another two hours later. "Mrs. Atwood?". Dawn had stood, her composure still calm and steady even though her son had almost died. "Your son Ryan seems to have some sort of allergy to the medications we gave him before. They cause severe hallucinations and mental deficiencies. We're very sorry that we didn't realize his intolerance to the drugs earlier. The overdose made him experience some terrible delusions. He seems to have had a seizure, but we're not sure if they will continue." Dawn cut him off. "You're a doctor and you made a fucking mistake with my kid?". The doctor was taken by surprise.   
  
"We're very sorry, Mrs. Atwood, but mistakes happen.". Dawn wasn't going to take anymore of his crap. "Come on, Trey. We're leaving.". Trey struggled against his mother, who was pulling him towards the doors. "But what about Ryan?" asked Trey, his voice cracking. "We'll pick him up later! Now come on, you little shit!". Trey gave up, letting his mother drag him away from his brother. The doctor stared at the two, his mouth gaping open at the mistreatment of the young man. Now that he thought about it, the scratches that were fading on Ryan's arms and face resembled those of Dawn's long, acrylic nails. The bruising on his face resembled a punch to the face, and the fact that Ryan had "fallen" down the stairs and had somehow gotten scars around his neck. It all pointed to abuse. He felt terrible for the 8 year old. No child deserved that sort of treatment.  
  
Ryan opened his eyes wide, gasping for air. He was all alone. The dark room around him made him feel even more lonely than he already was. He coughed. His stomach ached, and his head pulsed in pain. Where was he? Where was Trey, and his mother? Hell, he would even want to see Bill right now. A nurse walked in. "Hi sweetie..." she said softly. The pale boy in front of her flinched. "Where-where's my mom?" he asked. The nurse was troubled by his voice. He sounded like an adult, not like any of the eight year olds she'd met over the years, still calling their mother's "mommy" and getting called names like "pumpkin", and "sweetheart". "They had to go home, but we're gonna take care of you here." replied the nurse softly. "Does your stomach hurt? I think it's time for your medication..." she continued. Ryan shook his head. "No, no more pills...". His voice cracked. The nurse nodded. "Alright, sweetie, but you get some rest, alright?". Ryan nodded.  
  
*** Present Day ***  
  
Ryan woke up sweating once again, this time awoken by a real nightmare, not a drug induced one. He cried silently. Where had his mother been when he had woken up all alone in that hospital? No where to be seen. While Kirsten, Seth, and Sandy had been there for him 24/7, she had only shown up a few days later, to pull him out of the hospital without notice, so they wouldn't have to pay. He got up, getting his crutches from up against the wall. He looked at his clock. Noon. He crutched his way into the living room, where his new physiotherapist was. He stood up to greet him. "Hi, Ryan! I'm Ms. Fields.". Ryan looked down and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you..." he muttered. They spent the next few hours practicing exercises to get his leg back to normal. He walked her to the door when she was ready to leave. "Ok now Ryan. I expect you to practice those exercises regularly, and don't try too much at a time, alright?". Ryan nodded.  
  
Kirsten gave him an excited smile. "See? Wasn't that easier with the pills?". Ryan nodded. "Yeah." he lied. "Oh! Which reminds me. Here you go." she said, handing him two pills and a cup of orange juice. "Thanks." he said, palming the pills once again. She didn't notice as she sat down next to him to watch TV. He put the two blue pills in his pocket, turning his attention to the TV. He suppressed a grimace whenever she touched him accidentally or bumped into him. If he kept going like this, it was going to be a very, very painful recovery.  
  
There. Two to go! Read and review s'il vous plait! 


	15. Why does everyone ignore me?

I don't own the OC, characters, Adam Brody or Benjamin McKenzie. That's a shame, ain't it? Side note- the writers on the OC keep on changing the name of the maid. Is it Rosie, or Rosa? I'm sticking with Rosa.  
  
He was exhausted after hours of physiotherapy. All he wanted to do was curl up into a little ball and pass out. He was in so much pain he wasn't even able to concentrate on one point of his body that was in pain. When he started to focus on his stomach pain, his head hurt. When he thought about taking an aspirin, his leg hurt. He decided to go to bed, Kirsten looking over him the whole time, as if expecting a grimace, a scowl, a flinch of pain. But Ryan wouldn't give her that to worry about. She stopped at the entrance of his room, and he thanked her for everything, closing the door. He dug another hole in the dirt of the random plant and put the pills inside. He carefully covered them back up. He already had been given four that day, so he dug four holes, not wanting to put them too close together.  
  
It took a lot of effort to lie down in bed. He thought it took forever. When he finally settled down, he was so exhausted he basically passed out. He didn't know when he woke up, but he knew he was awake, since he was accompanied by the ever present pain. "Hi there, pain, long time no see..." he mumbled to himself. "Well let's make it go away then." He started, his heart racing at the sound of her voice. "Oh. Uh, hey Kirsten." he said, well aware that he was blushing. God, they must think he was crazy now. Look kiddies, it's the psycho who sees things and talks to himself. Oh! Try to scare him. He scares easy! He tried to shake off the thoughts by coughing, as if the loud noise might make the annoying voices in his head to shut up. Kirsten was immediately, of course, worried, bringing the cup of water she already had in her hands.  
  
"Here you go, sweetie." she whispered, dropping the two offending pills into his hand. He nodded and said something that sounded like "thanks", but you could never really tell when he mumbled. "How're you feeling?" asked Kirsten. "I'm good, thanks...you?" Another half smile. She rolled her eyes. "Nice try. For real, how do you feel?" He sighed. "For real?" She nodded solemnly. "Yes." He decided to tell her the truth. "For real, I feel like shit." He heard a snicker from the door. Sandy appeared from one side of the door, and Seth from the other. "Ooh, he said the 's' word, mom. Whatya gonna do?" He held his hand to his mouth to signify mock shock. Ryan just looked at him. "Hey! Still doesn't work. You're still all purple!" Sandy laughed, causing Seth to laugh as well. "Keep laughing Seth, but I'm gonna feel better soon and then you're going to be very sorry. So think about that." Seth "oooh'd" him and started looking around the room.   
  
Kirsten continued pressuring Ryan, asking him where it hurt, if he wanted some tea, some juice, some food. He replied every question with a "Naw, that's ok." or something along those lines. Ryan saw Seth getting close to his plant, but didn't say anything. He couldn't just ignore Kirsten, who was trying to make him feel better. He didn't notice when Seth curiously looked inside the flowerpot, seeing something blue. He pulled out the now dirt covered pill, and put it in front of Ryan's face, but out of sight of the Cohens. "What the hell?" he mouthed, pointing to the pill. Ryan gave him small gestures to stop, and put the thing back, but Kirsten noticed them and turned around. Seth tried to hide the pill before she could see, but she grabbed it out of his hand. She recognized it immediately as the medication, and her face hardened. "Seth, where did you get this?" she asked, her voice emotionless. "I don't, why would you think, that's a new-". Ryan cut him off. "Seth. Stop. Just tell them." he said, his gaze shifting to the blur duvet cover, as though he saw something interesting on it.   
  
Sandy stared intently at Ryan, while Seth whispered: "The flowerpot.". Kirsten looked inside the pot, digging holes in the dirt. "You're gonna mess up your nails." said Seth, trying to lighten the mood. His comedy was not well accepted, though. "Seth. Out. Now." said Kirsten, her eyes never leaving the plant. Seth nodded, mumbling something and leaving. Kirsten soon found many more pills in the pot, around nine in total. She slammed them on the counter beside Ryan, making him flinch. Sandy soon caught on, and looked at Ryan's closed fists. "Open your hands." he avoided making it sound like a question, making it a demand. Ryan unclenched his fists, revealing two more pills. Kirsten looked away. "So for the past few days you've not only been lying to us, but putting yourself at risk?" Ryan didn't answer the question. His hand started quivering, and he half expected Sandy to shove the pills down his throat.   
  
"Why?" asked Kirsten, her eyes filled with tears. He hadn't expected tears. That made him feel worse. Dawn should have learnt how to cry on command, he thought. She would have convinced him to do much more that way. "I can't...I don't..." he stopped. He couldn't tell them. They'd ship him off to the hospital again, and he'd be lucky if he ever got out. "What if you'd gotten hurt again? You could have a breakdown. Those pills are there to help, Ryan." he said, his tone softer than before at seeing the teenager's trembling hands. He put his hand out to put on top of Ryan's, but he pulled away, shaking more than before. "Please don't." he whispered, his voice inaudible from far away. Sandy took a hint and pulled his own hand back.  
  
"We're going to the hospital." said Sandy. Ryan looked up at him, shaking his head despite the pain. "No, I'm fine, please...no. I'll take the pills, I promise..." He was terrified of the hospital now. If his mother could get in to hurt him, he could name a long list of other people who could hurt him as well. Sandy tried to ignore the vacant stare in his eyes. "Well then you're in a hell of a lot of trouble." said Sandy suddenly, although he didn't really mean it. Ryan looked down, again interested in his duvet cover. He prepared himself for what he knew was no doubt coming. "Ok." he said, raising his face and closing his eyes tight, his teeth clenched. Sandy's confusion was obvious as he stared from Ryan to Kirsten and back again. He sat down next to Ryan. "What are you doing? Is something hurting you?" Ryan opened one eye. "Aren't you... aren't you going to hit me?" he whimpered, trying to keep his voice from cracking.  
  
Kirsten tried to stifle her crying, but it instead came out as a little whimper. "Ryan?" said Sandy to the teenager, who had already closed his eye again. "Ryan, look at me now." he said, his voice emotionless again. Ryan opened his eyes and stared back at his adoptive father, his hands shaking uncontrollably despite his attempts to keep them still. "We will never intentionally hurt you, you understand that?" He put a lot of emphasis on the 'intentional' part. He looked over to Kirsten, who had made her way to his side, and was holding his shaking hand. Sandy took his other hand. "Tell me that you understand that, Ryan." Ryan looked at Kirsten, then back at Sandy. "I understand..." he whispered. Sandy opened Ryan's now clenched hand and shook two pills into it. "Do this for us. Please." he pleaded. Ryan put the two pills in his mouth, and Kirsten handed him some water. If this was what it took to get them to still care about him, then he was willing to suffer the pain.   
  
"Let's see your hands." said Sandy, hating that he didn't trust Ryan. Ryan quickly complied, opening his empty hands to show to both of them. "Mouth." said Sandy, his voice low and sad. Ryan opened his mouth and moved his tongue around to prove that nothing was hidden underneath it. If Ryan Atwood said he was going to do something, he sure as hell was going to do it. Sandy nodded, and Ryan closed his mouth. "Are you hungry?" asked Kirsten, interrupting the uncomfortable silence. "Sort of..." muttered Ryan. "Ok. I'll go make some breakfast." Said Kirsten, feigning cheerfulness. Ryan faintly heard her go: "SETH! Get away from the door!" and he couldn't help but snicker.   
  
Sandy stood and extended his hand to help Ryan up. He refused it, instead putting his hands on the bed and pushing himself up, only to fall back down again. Sandy brought over his wheelchair. "No. I don't need that." said Ryan with a groan. "No, Ryan. It's part of the deal." Sandy's voice seemed flat, but Ryan could see the emotion in his eyes. "What deal?" he asked, getting scared. "I...I didn't mean it like that. Please. Wheelchair." said Sandy, pointing to the chair. Ryan sighed morosely, and slid over to wheelchair.  
  
"No! Mom, just flip them normally, don't try to be all cool. You, no wait! That's too much! Oh...I give up." Seth was trying to be casual, but he knew it wasn't working. He watched his mother put a bowl of god knows what the doctor prescribed in front of a very pale Ryan. He did a double-take and looked at Ryan again. He looked worse than he did before. That was not good. He was so pale he was almost white, and the bruising under his eyes seemed even darker than before. He noticed that the less intense bruising was more visible now against his pale skin, and his eyes were unfocused, as though he couldn't quite concentrate on anything. No one had spoken a word through breakfast, and it was really annoying him.  
  
"Sooo..." said Seth, raising his eyebrows. "I'm gonna, so, yeah..." He cleared his throat. "Hey, at least this didn't happen during the school year! So you have no work to catch up on..." He cleared his throat again. Ryan played with his food. Sandy and Kirsten stared at him, completely ignoring Seth. "Ryan, eat your food..." said Kirsten gently, trying not to sound too demanding. Ryan simply nodded, his eyes still not completely focusing.   
  
He had immediately started feeling sick after taking the pills. The pain intensified instead of going away. He couldn't really focus his eyes despite trying as hard as he could. He had lied when he said he was hungry. Now that he actually thought about the food, he felt like he was going to puke. He distantly heard Seth say something about sailing, or wailing, or something like that. He couldn't be sure. "Ryan?" asked a voice suddenly. He snapped out of the trance that had him gripped and his eyes finally focused on something. Sandy. He had his hand on his shoulder, and was staring at him with concern in his eyes. "You ok kid?" he asked, seeing Ryan's eyes finally had some expression in them, instead of being just a blank canvas. Ryan nodded, a half smile plastered on his face. "Yeah." he said.  
  
"Well I have to go to work, but I'll be back at lunch to check on you, ok?" Ryan nodded slowly, since Sandy was talking quickly, and the words weren't quite registering in his brain. He got up to put on his jacket. "Kirsten, can I talk to you for a second?" He pulled Kirsten into the living room, while Seth inched his way closer to Ryan, instantly resuming his endless conversation. "I was thinking of taking Summer...." Ryan lost track of the words.  
  
"Make sure he gets some sleep." said Sandy once he had Kirsten out of earshot. "He won't want it but he needs it." Kirsten nodded. "He can't actually think he's in trouble, can he?" asked Sandy, his voice cracking. "That is what you said, Sandy. What did you expect him to think?" Sandy shrugged nervously. "I didn't mean it...Do you think he can actually believe that we'd punish him after...after all he's done for us?" Kirsten's blue eyes narrowed. "You know he's a troubled kid, Sandy. Didn't you see what he thought you were going to do?" She didn't want to say when he thought Sandy was going to hit him, because those words sounded so wrong, she wouldn't give them the satisfaction of being said.  
  
"So I'll be back at noon, and call me if anything...ANYTHING happens." he repeated, reaching for the doorknob. She gave him a quick kiss and closed the door. She sighed and leaned against the door. She couldn't help but hide behind the wall and listen intently to the conversation Seth was having with Ryan. Or actually, it was more like the conversation Seth was having with himself. She suppressed a chuckle at Seth's quick words.  
  
"So I was thinking I could take Summer to a comic book convention, and she could learn the art of, uh, being a nerd." Ryan said nothing. "What do you think? Do ya think it's a bit minty, huh?" He tilted his head thoughtfully, looking at the emotionless eyes in front of him. "Ryan?" He snapped his fingers. No response. "Fine. Don't answer me." There was a brief silence. "OH! So I was thinking of finally asking Summer to go to Tahiti with me! You know, now that she's my girlfriend and all. Do you think I should?" No response. "RYAN???" asked Seth, his voice growing increasingly annoyed. "Huh? Oh, yeah, you should ask Summer to a comic convention. It may not be her 'thing', but I'm sure she'd enjoy it." Another half smile. Seth wanted to rip it off his face. "Yeah, except I asked that like, five minutes ago." Ryan looked confused. "You did? Oh sorry, I, uh, wasn't paying...attention." he ended, his eyes starting to unfocus again.   
  
"Dude? Are you ok?" asked Seth, his voice no longer annoyed, but concerned. Kirsten entered the room upon hearing the words. Seth laughed. "See! That's where I get my eavesdropping gene!" Kirsten payed him no attention. "Are you tired, honey?" she asked, worried. "No. Not tired." his response was quick. Too quick. "Are you sure?" Ryan nodded, but Kirsten glared at him anyways. She saw right through him. She knew everything about him. "You're going to get some sleep, you hear me?" He sighed, nodded, sighed again. "Ok." he mumbled, his head bowed. She nodded with a little smile, and wheeled him into his room, while Seth muttered something about going sailing.   
  
He managed to get into bed, and instantly passed out. She was busy tidying up his already impeccable room. "You know, Sandy didn't really mean we were going to punish you, Ryan. It just slipped out. We wouldn't punish you so soon to your, uh, accident...we're just worried about you." She turned to face him, and found him sound asleep, and in a very uncomfortable position. She went over and tried to move him into a slightly less awkward stance, and was surprised when he didn't even stir. Not so much surprised as concerned. She sat down in the chair next to the bed. She found a need to watch over him, to make sure nothing happened to him.   
  
Seth snuck in a few minutes later, his sailing equipment in hand. He was shocked to see Kirsten still there, staring at Ryan's unmoving figure. The only motion he saw was the slow rise and fall of his chest. His mother looked confused, worried, and angry all at once. "You ok, mom?" he asked, tilting his head again. "Hmm? Oh, yeah, it's just...Ryan hasn't moved once since he fell asleep." Seth raised an eyebrow. "Well that's usually what people do when they sleep. They don't move." Kirsten scowled, and Seth walked over to Ryan's side. "Hey dude?" he said, his voice mock-fear. "Dude, you're sleeping, and like, not moving. Oh my god, it's all, fearful!" He smiled as he looked at his mother, who was shaking her head.   
  
Seth was more than a little bit troubled. He hid it well with jokes, but he was still worried. He poked Ryan. There was no movement. Poked him again. No response. He shook him violently, not caring if he got a thrashing from Ryan if he woke up. When he woke up. When, he corrected his thoughts. Ryan stirred slightly, but didn't open his eyes. Seth shrugged and walked over to the door. "See ya, mom. Call me when Ryan wakes up." he said, moving to close the door. "Seth?" he heard the whisper from Ryan, and stopped dead in his tracks.   
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
How was that? I decided to continue for a few more chapters, thanks to the wonderfully nice reviews. Thanks y'all! Sorry this one took so long, but writers block can be a bitch. Anywho, more when I can think of it! 


	16. Who the hell are you?

Hello my dear, dear friends. How are you all? I hope you're good. Well, let me cut the crap and get to brass tax. Lol. I was having so much fun with this story I decided to keep going for a while. Yay for me! Well I hope you like reading it as much as I liked writing it. :)  
  
Kirsten jumped into action, kneeling closer to Ryan so she could try to wake him. "Seth, give him some space." she said, when Seth got uncomfortably close. She could tell by the way his face changed. He seemed to get more scared when he saw Ryan up close. She did too. From far away Ryan didn't look all that bad, just seriously bruised. But close up, he looked horrible. Like a ghost. Kirsten looked at his shaking body. She hoped he wasn't having some sort of seizure. She decided not to touch him, despite the urge she had to shake him awake. His eyes were still closed. "Seth, let me take care of this. You can leave." Seth was confused. "But...do you want me to call an ambulance or something?" Kirsten shook her head. "No. He's ok. He has to be ok."  
  
Ryan heard her voice. She sounded so scared. He didn't want her to be scared. He tried to walk towards the voice, but he couldn't. He heard Seth's voice. He was telling another retarded joke. He struggled to open his eyes. He knew it was a dream. He just wanted to wake up. He turned around. There he was, standing in front of him like nothing was wrong. "Yo, man, wassup?" Seth always had that way about him. He always made him feel better. Even when he felt like crap. He looked around. Oh, this was just great. He was in Chino. With Seth. "Seth..." he said loudly. "Woah, dude, you don't have to yell. I can hear you." said Seth, rubbing his ear with his hand. "Get out of here." said Ryan, whispering this time.   
  
Ryan stopped shaking. "Get out..." they heard him whisper. Kirsten leaned in closer. "GET OUT OF HERE SETH!" he screamed, his eyes still closed. Kirsten chanced a look at Seth. He looked hurt, but concerned at the same time. "I'm gonna call an ambulance." he whispered. Kirsten shook her head. "No. He's ok. He's ok." That seemed to be her mantra nowadays. He was ok, and if he wasn't, well then she was screwed. "No..." they heard him whisper again. He was moving around underneath the covers, and Kirsten couldn't help but think that he'd be sore when he finally did wake up. "Leave him alone..." Kirsten didn't know what to do. She tried to console him. "Ryan, you're safe, don't worry. Just wake up. Just please open your eyes for me, please?" She was in tears. He wouldn't even acknowledge her presence.  
  
"KILL ME INSTEAD!" he suddenly screamed. Seth flinched, visibly choking down the words. Kirsten almost got hit in the face by one of Ryan's flailing arms, so she decided to try and hold him down. She couldn't do much, though, and Ryan kept on tossing and turning in the bed. Seth ran over to help, successfully getting over the initial shock of Ryan's words. Between the two of them, they successfully held him down, but he was still shaking. "Ryan, you're ok. Just wake up. It's just a dream. You're fine. Please wake up..." pleaded Kirsten, her voice cracking as the tears flowed down her face. "Dude, you're scaring me...Please wake up." said Seth, speaking for the first time in minutes. Ryan's body convulsed one last time, and he was still.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Seth just stood there. "Dude, why would I leave? I wanna see where you used to live!" Ryan shook his head. "No, you don't." Seth waggled his finger at him. "Yes, I totally do. And dude? This place is awesome!" Ryan shook his head. "You really think so?" asked a voice, but it wasn't Ryan's. Ryan slowly moved in front of Seth, shielding him from his father. "Seth, get out of here." he slowly whispered. "No, man, I'm staying here with you." said Seth, his voice defying his attempt at fearlessness. "GET OUT OF HERE SETH!" screamed Ryan, trying to yell some sense into him. He wouldn't move. Why was he being such a tard?   
  
"Who's this? Your little 'friend'?" his father jeered. "Get the fuck outta my way, son." He shoved Ryan to the ground, leaving behind a very scared Seth. "No..." whispered Ryan. He had never seen Seth look so scared. And it was all his fault. Before he came into their lives, they probably wouldn't even be able to spell violence. Now, his brother was about to get killed, and he couldn't do anything about it. Dave, his monster of a father, had a gun. That was never a good sign. Seth was paralyzed with fear. Ryan didn't blame him. It had happened to him more than once in his lifetime. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" he screamed as Dave grabbed Seth's curly black hair and put the gun in his mouth.   
  
Ryan got up, finding it incredibly hard for some reason. "Leave him alone." he repeated, his eyes half closed. He had no idea why he was so fucking tired, but he fought against the urge he had to close his eyes. "Why should I?" asked Dave, pulling his gaze away from the terrified teenager in front of his face. "Because he hasn't even done anything to you. Why would you want to kill him? Why wouldn't you want to kill me instead?" his voice had a hint of fear in it, but he hoped Dave hadn't heard it. "You want me to kill you instead? Why would I do that, when it would hurt you more to watch your new friend here die?" Ryan didn't respond until he saw Seth's face. He looked scared, more scared than he'd ever seen him in a long time.  
  
"WAIT!" he screamed. "Kill me instead!" Dave paid him no attention. "KILL ME INSTEAD!" Ryan was going to have a breakdown soon. Dave sighed, annoyed. He tried to stop himself from what he knew he was going to do. He couldn't stop himself. He was a virus spreading evil wherever it went. He was a monster possessed by Satan. He was a pathetic excuse for a human being. So why should he care about his son? He turned around and shot Ryan in the head. Dave didn't deserve a son like Ryan, and he knew it. But Ryan didn't deserve to live in his opinion. He hadn't cared about his old man, instead going off to live with a bunch of rich assholes. Good riddance, he thought.  
  
The world went dark all around him. He could hear his own heartbeat. He heard it slow down. That was just a dream, he reminded himself. Just a dream. Then why couldn't he wake up?  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
"Sandy?" Sandy looked up from the paper he had been staring intently at for a moment to look around. The "team meeting" hadn't been going very well. He had way too much on his mind right now to be focusing on his work. His peers stared at him, not concerned, not worried. More like annoyed. Except Rachel. Rachel had heard about what happened, and she was worried. Even though she had been mad at him before. "Maybe you should go home and check on your son." she said, much to the amazement of Sandy. His get-out-of-jail-free card. "You know what? I think I will." He got up and put his jacket on. He gave a little wave to his colleagues and left.   
  
He started his car, deciding against calling home to tell his wife he'd taken a vacation from work to be with the kids. He'd been able to get away with 3 weeks, considering the trauma they'd all been through. He sighed as he remembered how harsh he'd been with Ryan. He hadn't meant to be, but he had a bad past with injuries, and sickness. His brother had gotten shot when he was only a little boy, no more than five years old. Some punk had decided that his brother was in the way, and he'd pulled a gun on him. Seth, that was his name, had pushed Sandy out of the way so he wouldn't get hurt. Sandy shuddered as he remembered the sound the gun had made when it went off into his brothers chest. The same sound it had made when Ryan got shot.   
  
His brother had recovered, but just like Ryan, he was stubborn. He had thrown away his pain medications, thinking he was strong, and didn't need them. Then he tripped down the stairs, and his lack of energy, as well as the pain, had sent him back to the hospital. He never did recover. And Sandy had to say goodbye to his brother at the young age of 6. No one should have to say goodbye to their brother, especially at such a young age. He wasn't going to let Seth go through what he went through with Seth. He smiled at how strange that had sounded in his head. He stopped the car, realizing that he had almost passed the house. It was amazing how fast time went by when you were thinking so deeply about something.   
  
He opened the door slowly. The house was such a mess. They still hadn't gotten around to refurnishing it. He was hoping they'd find that bastard A.J. soon, and maybe they wouldn't have to refurnish. He mentally crossed that thought out. A.J. would have probably sold everything by now. No one was in the living room. He peeked into the kitchen. No one was there either. "NO. GO AWAY..." he heard the yell from Ryan's room. His heart started racing. He let out a quiet curse before running into Ryan's room, expecting to see his son fighting with A.J., Dawn, anyone. Instead, he was met with Ryan, a pained expression on his face and on his closed eyes. Kirsten was beside him, her hand on his forehead, whispering consolations into his ear.  
  
She jumped when she saw him. He had immediately gone to Ryan's side, right across from her. He held down Ryan's thrashing arms, managing to control them much better than she had. He didn't ask any questions, didn't make any stupid jokes. He understood that she didn't need that right now, that she didn't want it. Instead, he remained silent, helping in his own way by controlling Ryan so that Kirsten could talk to him. "Sweetie, please wake up. Please..." His heart ached at the sound of her voice. It sounded so tired, so sad, yet so determined. She wasn't going to give up. Not ever.   
  
"He hasn't woken up since this morning. He fell asleep at around eight, and it's 1:00." said Kirsten once Ryan's nightmare had subsided. "It's like- It's like he's in some sort of coma. Seth shook him for what must have been five minutes straight, and he didn't even move...his eyes didn't even flutter. What the hell is wrong with him, Sandy?" He hugged her softly, swaying her from side to side. "I don't know..." he whispered, kissing her on the top of the head. Ryan stirred slightly and Kirsten moved out of Sandy's hug, by his side in an instant. Ryan shivered, whimpering. "Shh...it's ok..." whispered Kirsten, already getting used to what she had to say to calm him down. Sandy seemed to understand what he had to do, and went back to the other side of the bed, holding down Ryan's wrists.   
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Ryan was losing an everlasting battle. The voices in his head kept on telling him to wake up, to PLEASE wake up. He didn't know why anyone would care. Frankly, he thought someone was playing some sort of prank on him. Every time one nightmare would end, he'd be back in a dark room. It was black, although he thought it looked more dark blue. He had no idea why he was even thinking about the color of the room and not thinking about how the hell to get out of it. His head hurt. His ribs hurt. Come to think of it, everything hurt. "What the hell is wrong with him, Sandy?" he heard the voice in his head say. He snorted. He could think of a lot of things that were wrong with him. He had a short temper. He was overprotective and had quick fists. He was much too quiet, and he was naive in his own little way.   
  
"I don't know..." said a man. Sandy, he guessed. God, he loved that man. He was more of a father to him than his actual father, and he respected him. And Ryan respected him back. It was just that simple. The great thing about it was that the respect didn't involve fear, or hatred. It involved love and kindness. "Oh crap." whispered Ryan. A blast of wind hit him, and he shivered. He hadn't realized how cold it was. His thoughts about Sandy had triggered another nightmare, and he sighed sadly. He didn't think he would be able to handle another nightmare.   
  
He noticed that his hands were bound, though he couldn't quite remember when they had been tied together. He looked up. There was a bright light shining in his eyes, and A.J. was hovering over him. He shut his eyes tight, the bright light bothering him. "Look who we got here..." said A.J., who seemed to be the one with the bright flashlight. Ryan didn't dignify him with any kind of response. "You wanna tell us about the vaults?" asked A.J. Shit. Ryan knew Sandy never should have trusted his money with Ryan. He knew something would happen to their money, and it would be all his fault. He gulped as the flashlight was pulled away.   
  
"What vaults?" he lied. He knew exactly which vaults A.J. was talking about. "Don't bullshit me, kid. I know that you know your family's money is in those vaults, and you're going to tell us the combos. I also know that you're going to tell us the combos eventually, and it all depends on how much pain you want to endure before giving in." Ryan coughed. He wasn't liking where this was going.  
  
"Could you get me a cup of water?" asked Sandy. Ryan looked from left to right. He had no idea when Sandy had gotten there. He sighed. The worst dreams he had were when the Cohens were there because they always got killed. Or hurt. He stared intently at Sandy. A.J. made no move to hurt him, or point the gun to his head. He didn't even look at him. He looked back at Sandy, who now had a cup of water. He didn't know when he got it or how, but he sure as hell had it. He still didn't know why A.J. or his friends hadn't acknowledged his father, but he was glad that they didn't.  
  
Sandy threw some water in his face. It wasn't enough for him to react in any way. He decided against coughing or doing something else to attract any attention from A.J. "You gonna tell us the combos now, or do we have to start 'interrogating' you?" asked A.J., a lopsided smirk on his face. Sandy stepped closer to Ryan, and completely unexpectedly, threw the cup of water in his face. He coughed, sputtering. Why would Sandy do that? His dream suddenly changed, and he was underwater. He couldn't breathe. He tried to swim up to the surface, but he was running out of air. He lungs suddenly ached, and he coughed under water, not surprised that it came out as bubbles.  
  
"Crap." he heard Sandy say. He stared questioningly at his new father, who was in front of him, and wasn't at all as pained as Ryan was. "Whuh ore wou loing here?" asked Ryan, his words muffled. "Pass me the towel." said Sandy, completely ignoring Ryan's inaudible question. Then the blackness came around him again, and he could breathe. He had never been so happy to be greeted by the black- or blue- or whatever colored room that was void of anything. He looked around, only to find himself standing face to face with Sandy Cohen.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Ryan had settled down enough that Sandy could loosen the death grip that he had on his wrists. He sighed. "Don't you wanna call the hospital? You know, take him there to see if he's ok?" Kirsten shook her head. "No. I want us to take care of this. I want him to be fine." Tears welled in her eyes as she shook her head again. "Well then could you get me the first aid kit?" asked Sandy, understanding where Kirsten was coming from. Kirsten got up and went to Ryan's bathroom, where a first aid kit had been installed, just in case. She brought it back to Sandy, who let go of Ryan momentarily to look through the case. He found what he was looking for quickly enough.   
  
"Here, take this." he told Kirsten, handing her the little white flashlight. She looked confused. "I'm going to hold his wrists down so he won't accidentally hit you or something, and you just open his eye and shine that into it." Kirsten nodded. It sounded simple enough. She gently pried Ryan's eye open. He stirred a bit and started shaking again. She heard the click of the flashlight when she turned it on, and she shone the bright light into Ryan's bloodshot eyes. The only response she got was a shudder from Ryan. She looked closer at his eyes. They didn't even move when she moved the light closer to them. Disheartened, she pulled the small flashlight away.   
  
Sandy decided that they could try a different approach. "Could you get me a cup of water?" he asked, looking at Ryan's now immobile figure. Kirsten nodded, and, picking up one of the stray cups from Ryan's room, walked into the bathroom. Sandy heard her fill it up with water. She came back with a full cup and a towel. She pretty much knew what Sandy was going to do. He did it to her in college when she passed out from too much alcohol. It wasn't the greatest wake-up call, but it was better than nothing.   
  
He decided to start with only a little bit. He cupped some water into his hands and threw it into Ryan's face. He was surprised when nothing happened. He thought the boy would at least react in some way. A shudder, another one of those things that seemed like seizures. Anything to distract him from the fact that he was lying there in front of him, lifeless and motionless. He took his pulse, relieved that he still had one. He sighed and prepared himself for his final act. If Ryan woke up now, he'd be pretty pissed off at him for throwing a cup of water in his face, but it was better than watching him in his comatose state.  
  
He hurled the water at his face, and regretted it immediately. Ryan coughed and made choking sounds. He started flailing again, and Kirsten noticed that he stopped breathing. Sandy took his pulse, glad that he still had one. Ryan started breathing again, much to the relief of the two Cohens. He wasn't choking from the water, it was just the initial shock of getting water thrown in your face, thought Sandy. Actually, he didn't think, he hoped. He hoped and prayed. "Pass me the towel..." he pointed to the blue towel that was beside Kirsten. She passed it to him, and he wiped off Ryan's face. Ryan seemed to be sufficiently calmed.  
  
Kirsten took the towel Sandy had dropped and went to put it back in the bathroom. Sandy took the moment of solitude to talk to Ryan. "Hey kid." he whispered. "Why did this have to happen?" he asked, his emotions almost getting the better of him. "Why did everything have to go wrong, just when they had started going right? I don't know...maybe I shouldn't have bribed that doctor to send you home early. You just seemed so...sad. But I guess right now 'sad' seems better than 'snow white'" He laughed. "Or 'sleeping beauty'. I'm not quite sure... Kiddo, you gotta wake up. It's time for you to wake up."   
  
Kirsten stood at the door of the bathroom, listening intently to Sandy's heartfelt pleading. She felt tears forming in her eyes and pulled back into the bathroom. She had to let Sandy talk to Ryan. She continued to listen from the small bathroom. "Come on Ryan. Please. Wake up. Seth wants you to wake up. I'm sure of it. Kirsten told me that he left here depressed. But you know Kirsten. Her motherly instinct kicks in and she must have you all to herself. I probably don't have much time, since she'll come back from the bathroom and mother you silly. Oh, I'm sure of it." He pushed a wet clump of hair away from Ryan's forehead and chuckled. "Sorry about the water. It used to work on Kirsten when she was young. You know, when she lived in the back of a mail truck. She says she stank of Patchouli, but I thought she smelled fantastic." He laughed again. "But you don't want to hear about that, I'm sure."  
  
Ryan didn't move. "Ryan, it's time to wake up." he said, his tone sad but determined. "Wake up now." He had tried to beg and plead, and it hadn't worked. He decided on a more straight forward approach, thinking about how it worked most times. "If you don't wake up now...we'll...we'll kick you out." He didn't smile when he said it. The words sounded so fake, so unbelievable, that he was sure that if Seth were there, he'd burst into squeals of laughter. As if they would ever kick Ryan out. He felt Ryan's hand move in his. "Wake up Ryan, for us." he felt the tears coming, and did nothing to hold them back. Kirsten had handled enough, and walked over to put a heavy hand on Sandy's shoulder.  
  
Ryan coughed and fluttered his eyes open. It came as a complete surprise to the two Cohens, and they didn't even notice until Ryan hoarsely whispered: "Where am I?" Sandy abruptly let go of his hand. "Ryan." he said, sighing with relief. "Where am I? What happened?" asked Ryan, his voice a bit stronger. "Sweetie you're in the guest room...don't you remember?" Ryan moved his head slowly from side to side. "Who are you?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows. Sandy's face changed from relief to dismay, as did Kirsten's. "Don't you- don't you know who we are, son?" asked Sandy, hoping he'd remember. "No..." whispered Ryan. Sandy had been wrong. This was worse than Ryan being sad, or a "sleeping beauty". Now he didn't even remember who they were.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Ha ha. That was fun. I didn't even want to do that but it just came out. Definitely fun though. More soon, and a very big surprise that will leave you wanting more! Except not. Because I don't say stuff like that. I say stuff like "freaky freak" and "kickass!". So, yeah. More of my craziness to come! 


End file.
